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HomeLocal NewsSocial Cash Transfer vehicle for reducing poverty, Envoy tells UN

Social Cash Transfer vehicle for reducing poverty, Envoy tells UN

FRANCIS CHIPALO writes

@SunZambia

THE Social Cash Transfer programme remains one of the most effective policies of the country’s desire to eradicate poverty especially among rural and remote communities where the scourge of poverty has remained unacceptably high.

Zambia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and Chargé d’Affaires Christine Kalamwina said despite the country having experienced exponential and steady economic growth in the last decade, a large part of the country’s population was still living in poverty.

Ms Kalamwina said the levels of poverty in Zambia are more pronounced in rural and remote communities and that the Social Cash Transfer has proved to be an effective contribution to poverty reduction and income redistribution.

Delivering Zambia’s statement during the 57th Session on the Commission on Social Development (CSD) at the United Nations, Ms Kalamwina said Zambia with the support of her development partners has developed a number of strategic policies and programmes meant to eradicate poverty and address inequalities.

She said strategic policies such as Social Assistance, Social Security, Livelihood and Empowerment as well as the protection and disability programmes are meant to address poverty levels which is at 76.6 percent high in rural communities.

Ms Kalamwina further said the Social Cash Transfer has become a national programme and that so far, about 574,000 households are currently beneficiaries of the policy translating into more than 3.5 million individual beneficiaries.

“Zambia is determined and remains committed to reducing poverty and addressing inequalities. We remain committed to continue strengthening the social protection sector as a key vehicle to poverty reduction and social exclusion in our quest to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) premised on leaving no one behind,” Ms Kalamwina said.

She stated that Government has further strengthened other social protection programmes such as the Home Grown School Feeding Programme which is currently supporting 977,904 learners across eight Provinces of the country while about 800,000 households are beneficiaries of the Food Security Pack which supports agriculture productivity.

Ms Kalamwina told the UN Member States that Zambia is working at bridging the gender gap between boys and girls through the introduction of Keeping Girls in School policy which has so far seen 20,000 girls receive education support in form of school fees and other requisites.

This is contained in a statement released to the Sun in Lusaka on Tuesday by Wallen Simwaka, First Secretary (Press) Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations.

Ends

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