DETERIORATING economic opportunities in the country have been identified as a leading factor compounding urban residents’ livelihoods as government dragged its feet in re–aligning policy and legislative issues, the Poverty Reduction Forum Trust (PRFT) has said.
PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER
PRFT executive director Judith Kaulem in a policy brief for October said although indications were that government had started work on policy and legislative alignment issues, work on key draft bills was progressing at a snail pace.
“However, evidence gathered by PRFT clearly shows that there is need for accelerated efforts on key policy and legislation reforms in all sectors.
This will enable the ordinary people to participate and realise better standards of living out of socio and economic empowerment programmes as enshrined in the ZimAsset blueprint,” she said.
Some of the draft Bills in the social services and poverty eradication cluster included policy on social services, revised gender policy, public accounts and Auditors Amendment Bill, Local Authorities Bill, Provincial and Metropolitan Bill.
Kaulem decried that mining communities and local authorities in particular were still to benefit from mining companies’ social responsibility programmes.
“The companies are capitalising on the old Mines and Minerals Act which does not offer meaningful benefits to communities affected by activities,” she said, adding that there was need for greater accountability in the mining sector.
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Government’s controversial economic blue print, ZimAsset, outlined social services and poverty eradication, food security and nutrition, public infrastructure and utilities as well as value addition and beneficiation as key clusters in economic revival.
Kaulem said the huge infrastructure deficit in the country had undermined productivity, employment and potential economic growth, with households bearing the consequences.
“In the social service sector, dilapidated water and road infrastructure has further worsened service delivery, dragging more households into poverty,” she said.
Kaulem called on government to accelerate its efforts to fill all the policy and legislation gaps in each sector.
