PF CAUTIONED AGAINST MAKING COMPARISONS ON COST OF COMMODITIES WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN SADC REGION
By Patricia Male
The Copperbelt Trade and Development Forum –CTDF- has noted with concern misleading political statements by the Patriotic Front on the comparative cost of commodities in the country and trading patterns with other countries within the SADC region.
Forum Executive Director Vincent Lengwe states that while the organization understand that this is a political campaign season, he has cautioned the PF as an incumbent political regime to customize their campaign messages on real economic state of affairs and how they intend to correct the situation beyond 12th August 2021 general elections.
Mr. Lengwe argues that it is an undisputed fact that the cost of living and cost of doing business in Zambia currently remains the highest and unbearable in the SADC region.
He has told Phoenix News that it is also illogical and naïve for PF economic and political advisors to compare the cost of commodities between Zambia and other SADC countries while failing to factor in the disposable household incomes, socio-economic inequalities and the dynamics of the purchasing power parity which measures the strength of various local currencies to international currencies such as the United States Dollar.
PHOENIX NEWS