Civil society group, CSPR, urges government to stabilise fuel prices

Government should stabilise fuel prices to address the high cost of living, says Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) Executive Director, Faidess Tembatemba.

Tembatemba observed that some of the triggers of the current high cost of living could be attributed to the continued increase in the cost of fuel based on the monthly adjustments by Energy Regulation Board (ERB).

She said in an interview that the cost of mealie meal, which provided for the Zambian staple food and the depreciation of the local currency could be addressed if the government through ERB could stabilise the cost of fuel.

“Fuel is the driver of any country’s economy and if government through ERB can stabilize prices, the cost of doing business will be reduced, which will translate into cheaper prices of goods and services,” she said.

Tembatemba explained that whereas, government had been consistent with the disbursements of funds for service provision, it was still worried that there was still a challenge with accessing medicines and drugs in health facilities and hospitals.

“This has continued to undermine the effectiveness and benefits of the National Health Insurance Scheme,” she added.

Tembatemba had also called on the Bank of Zambia to provide instruments, which would result in the appreciation and stabilisation of the local currency, as well as arrest the inflation rate from a monetary policy side.

“Government must put in place fiscal measures which will benefit the local small-scale enterprises to cushion the high cost of production in order to make them resilient enough to contribute to the improvement,” she said.

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