More Ugandans Live Below Poverty Line, Says Kamuntu

Jul 16, 2002

SHEEMA South MP Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu(pictured) has said economic growth figures given by the Government were misleading. He said the number of Ugandans living in abject poverty has been increasing.

By Hamis KaheruSHEEMA South MP Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu(pictured) has said economic growth figures given by the Government were misleading. He said the number of Ugandans living in abject poverty has been increasing. He was contributing to the debate on the State of Nation address by President Yoweri Museveni.Persons living in abject poverty (or below the poverty line) spend less than a dollar (sh1,800) per day, according to the UN and World Bank.Kamuntu, an economist, told Parliament recently that while the percentage of Ugandans living in abject poverty had dropped from 44% in 1999 to 35% today, the actual number of people living below the poverty line has increased by 700,000.He said at 44%, 7 million Ugandans lived in abject poverty when the population was 16m.Kamuntu said at 35% today for a population of 22m people, 7.7 million Ugandans live below the poverty line, a rise of 700,000. He said, “While the rate is decreasing, more people are poor.” He also rejected figures on inflation, saying they were a result of low food prices.Ends

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