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Zambia is currently performing slightly above average in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), scoring 53.25 on the measuring dashboard.
Overall, SDG progress for Zambia in comparison with the rest of the regional counter parts is moderate and the country remains on track to achieve SDG 13 on climate action.
SDG Centre for Africa Programmes Director, Ambrose Ahesibwe, said in an interview in Lusaka on the side-lines of the SADC Regional Media Workshop that Zambia had scored 53.25 on the centres measuring dashboard.
He said this indicated that the country was showing slight progress.
Ahesibwe attributed the slow progressive to lack of data needed and funds to finance SDGs implementation.
“Overall performance Zambia slightly above average, this could be attributed to lack of data and financing,” he said.
A recent report from SDG Centre for Africa indicated that Zambia was now focusing on the recovery plans that aim at convalescing the economy and promote well-being.
According to the report, by integrating and aligning these recovery plans in 8th NDP, some SDGs were directly addressed and others indirectly.
It stated that Zambia had already done the socio-economic study on the impact of COVID-19 that has informed the recovery plans and pathways.
Meanwhile, Ahesibwe said the performance of the implementation of the SDGs at continent level was unsatisfactory.
He attributed the slow progress to Covid-19 pandemic where countries had challenges raising finances.
Ahesibwe encouraged countries to utilise the domestic resources as a starting point adequately if they were to address some of the targets and the SDG needs.
“So in terms on performance at continent level, it is not to our expectations. Performance partly has been hindered by Coviod-19, the status before covid-19 was moving progressively, slow but sure on some of the SDGs particularly on poverty and climate change.
“Main key challenges hindering progress is data gaps. Beyond data gaps, we continue seeing SDG financing is another challenge because Covid-19 distorted the sources of finance and so countries are now struggling in their own reforms to ensure we have proper sources of finance,” Ahesibwe said.
He therefore, called on all countries to establish an SDG Monitoring and Reporting System.
“The call of action is that countries should test and roll out this system so that they begin to report in real time manner, as and when data is needed.
“SDG centre we are playing a catalyst role on enhancing the means of SDG implementation, we are here support national countries in alignment of SDGs in their national plans and even going beyond that support the monitoring and reporting in terms of tracking progress,” Ahesibwe said.
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