Poverty reduction forum held

A cross-section of Zambian society on Tuesday took part in a forum aimed at developing a strategy for reducing poverty, news reports said. Government statistics said that about 73 percent of Zambians, mostly those living in rural areas, were poverty-stricken and had no access to basic commodities such as clean water and sanitation. Government officials and members of civil society produced a draft document, the "Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper", to be reviewed at the three-day forum, which is also being attended by representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Vice President Enoch Kavindele, in a keynote address, urged delegates to develop "workable" strategies against poverty. "The implementation of whatever will come out of here must be steadfast and requires total commitment," Kavindele said. "Poverty reduction is not about handouts. We need to teach the people how to fish and not just giving them fish."