A faith based Roman Catholic organization, Center for Social Concern (CfSC), has bemoaned that most families have continued to sail through hard economic period during the first quarter of the year 2021.

The organization’s programs officer, Bernard Mphepo, said in the past three month the price of commodities have been rising a development which has impinged lives of many families who earn little for a living.

According to a report by the organization, issued in January this year, indicated that a family of six members is required to use K204,000 per month but currently most workers are receiving less than K100,000 as a monthly salary describing the gap as too wide.

Mphepo said: “As an organization we are deeply concerned because it is clear that during the months between January and March, which is the first quarter of the year 2021, the price of many commodities have gone up leaving many households destitute.”

Mphepo said although government has raised a monthly minimum wage to K50 thousand kwacha but this did not cushion the people’s hardships because the price of commodities keep on rising.

He pointed out the rise in fuel price as one of the factors which has contributed to price hike of different commodities.

He further expressed fear that the recent hike in electricity could trigger the already existing challenges.

Mphepo also asked government to put much emphasis on the price of farming products to make sure that farmers are making enough profits and are not robed at the same time.

He said although minimum prices for farm produce are set each and every year but the reality on the ground is that farmers are still being robbed a development which is pushing them further poorer.

CfSC is a faith based Roman Catholic organization which among other things fights for the economic injustices by carrying out research into the cost of living for people through gathering information for the basic needs basket.