CSPR Submission to the committee on health community development and social services on the 2024 national budget

The country has experienced increased levels of poverty both in rural and urban areas across all the provinces. The recent 2022 Poverty Assessment report revealed that the country had recorded a rise in the poverty levels in the country at 60% from 54.4%, meanwhile, in rural areas, there was an increase from 76.6% in 2015 to 78.8% in 2022 while urban poverty has risen from 23.4% in 2025 to 31.9%. The poverty levels provide a clear indication that more needs to be done by the government to address this challenge. Poverty levels are further exacerbated by impacts of climate change which pose threats to food security, infrastructure, manufacturing and public health systems. We note that the budget speech by the Minister of Finance and National planning to Parliament broadly outlined interventions that government would boost economic growth and reduce poverty.