Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Emerine Kabanshi
Community Development and Social Services Minister, Emerine Kabanshi says government will continue to strengthen its social protection response in order to tackle high levels of poverty and vulnerability in the country.
The Minister said this in Lusaka during a media breakfast meeting in commemoration of the Social Protection Week which is being commemorated under the theme “Decentralization and Innovation”.
Ms Kabanshi says poverty and vulnerability have been identified as some of the key pillars that government aims to address during the implementation of the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP).
She has observed the need for all stakeholders to move with time and the changing face of the social protection sector in delivering services to the poor and vulnerable people in the country.
Ms Kabanshi says the services must reach the most vulnerable if meaningful development is to be achieved.
She further states that in order to attain national development, there is also need for a decentralized system of governance so that social protection services offered by government are closer to the poor and vulnerable.
Speaking at the same event, Swedish Ambassador to Zambia, Henrik Cederin, who represented cooperating partners, pledged continued support to social protection programs which she said have the capacity to eradicate poverty.
Mr. Cederin has since commended the Zambian Government for its efforts to scale up the Social Cash Transfer Program from 242, 000 to about 538, 000 beneficiaries saying this is a huge increase.
And in her welcoming remarks, Ministry of Community Development Permanent Secretary, Dr. Liya Mutale said there is an urgent need to ensure that social protection programs reach the correct beneficiaries in order to reduce the high poverty levels that stand at 54.4 percent.