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From next year, free sanitary towels will be distributed to schoolgirls in rural and peri-urban areas in Zambia, the country’s Finance Minister Felix Mutati announced.

He made the announcement in his 64.5 billion kwacha ($6.6 billion) budget speech on Friday while mentioning several measures that are meant to stabilise the economy that has been hit by slumping commodity prices, mine closures, rising unemployment, power crisis and high food prices.

“In order to increase and retain attendance of girls in schools, government will in 2017 commence distribution of free sanitary towels to girls in rural and peri-urban areas,” Mr Mutati said.

Mr Mutati who is also leader of the opposition MMD, said the government was targeting to limit the fiscal deficit to 7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017, from a projected 10 per cent this year. He added that the government would limit domestic borrowing to 2 per cent of the GDP in 2017, slightly higher than 1.2 per cent this year.

Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer and her economy was heavily dependent on the commodity.

The Finance Minister said the economy was projected to grow at 3.4 per cent next year, from just over 3 per cent this year, due to low global commodity prices, power crisis, inflation and a government cash crunch.

Zambia opened talks with the International Monetary Fund in March about a potential aid package, but no deal has been agreed yet.