FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
CARITAS ZAMBIA COMMENDS CALL FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH, URGES PEOPLE-CENTRED IMPLEMENTATION OF “GROW ZAMBIA” AGENDA
Lusaka | 14th October 2026
Caritas Zambia warmly congratulates His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema on the ambitious plan he set out at the official opening of the First Session of the Fourteenth National Assembly on Friday, 9th October 2026.
Under the theme “Grow Zambia: an agenda for inclusive growth and opportunity for every Zambian,” the President described his vision of “a Zambia in which every citizen has a sense of belonging; a Zambia where every community benefits from national progress.” We warmly welcome this commitment to leaving no one behind. It speaks directly to the values that guide our work: human dignity, solidarity and the preferential option for the poor.
The people of Zambia need hope, and they need solutions. Too many families continue to carry the weight of the cost of living, unemployment and the effects of climate change. It is therefore encouraging to hear the President describe the path ahead as “one of hope, responsibility and shared purpose,” and to see that hope matched with clear targets that are, in his words, “ambitious, but achievable.” Caritas Zambia is glad that the President is providing this leadership.
We particularly welcome the commitments to turn economic stability into “tangible benefits for all citizens, including putting food on the table”; to put 500,000 hectares under irrigation; to establish a skills training centre in every district; to recruit more teachers and health workers; and to expand the Social Cash Transfer.
The true measure of these targets will be whether ordinary families are living better lives: whether growth reaches the household, creates decent jobs for young people, benefits communities living alongside our mineral wealth and protects children and vulnerable citizens.
For this reason, Caritas Zambia expects the 2027 National Budget, which the President said will set out how this agenda is financed, to be people-centred. It must bring relief to households struggling with the cost of living and lift people out of poverty, through adequate funding for social protection, education, health, water and small-scale farmers. In particular, we look to the Budget to show:
Download the entire copy of the statement Caritas Zambia Commends Call For Inclusive Growth, Urges People-Centered Implementation Of “Grow Zambia” Agenda here: https://caritaszambia.org/phocadownload/general/Caritas-Zambia-Commends-Call-For-Inclusive-Growth-Urges-People-Centred-Implementation-Of-Grow-Zambia-Agenda.pdf
