Brian CHitemba

how almost three quarters of the 15 million population make ends meet.

“According to the 2022 FinScope Consumer Survey, the poverty levels have increased from 65% in 2014, with 73% of the population earning not more than US$100. Most of the population earn small, inconsistent and irregular income, with 58% of the population relying mainly on piece jobs as a source of income,” the financial inclusion report noted.“Vulnerability indicators, according to the 2022 FinScope Consumer Survey, point to more hardships for the majority of Zimbabweans, with 68% of the population having gone without money and needing to make alternative plans to meet daily needs, while 61% had to skip a meal due to lack of money for food.”

If 61% of the population is, sometimes, forced to skip meals, according to the report, then authorities should lose sleep over economic headwinds choking Zimbabwe. Yesterday, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube vowed to tame inflation. He told parliamentarians during his 2023 budget presentation. But it’s not the first time Ncube has made this pledge. The worrying trend is that he keeps failing to achieve the targets. Even