-President Michael Sata has described the recent hike in mealie meal prices as unjustified and unacceptable.
And President Sata has told Agriculture and Livestock Emmanuel Chenda that he expects the millers to reach a rational consensus that does not only serve their interests but more significantly, the consumers’.
Mr. Sata said his administration will do everything possible to curb exploitation and maintain the price of mealie meal at satisfactory levels in order to insulate the general populace from bearing the effect of unjustified hikes.
This is contained in a press statement released to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka today by Special Assistant to the President, George Chellah.
President Sata disclosed that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has offloaded an initial 112, 000 metric tonnes of maize on the market and will continue to do so in the subsequent months.
“Therefore, there is no reason or justification why there should be a shortage of mealie meal in any part of the country,” President Sata said.
He told millers and other stakeholders in the sector to do the right thing as opposed to taking positions that will undermine consumer interests and the industry itself in the long term.
President Sata further urged other millers to emulate APG, Simba, Mpongwe, Olympic and African Milling companies among others that have begun to reduce the price of mealie meal.
“Let them take a leaf from other millers that have begun reducing the price of mealie meal such as APG, Simba, Mpongwe, Olympic and African Milling among others,” he added.
Meanwhile, Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) have with immediate effect reduced the prices of mealie-meal, association acting vice chairperson Chisha Phiri has said.
Mr Phiri said in an interview yesterday that the reduction was as a result of the Government’s move to offload sufficient maize stocks to the millers in the country.
He said the prices of a 25 kilogramme breakfast which was sold between K60, 000 and K 61, 000 had reduced to K55, 000 and K50, 000 for roller meal of the same quantity on wholesale prices.
“I want to confirm that Government has offloaded about one metric tones of maize stock to the millers and it has instructed us to also reduce the prices of the commodities with immediate effect,” Mr Phiri said
He was confident that the reduction of the commodity by the millers would also result into reduced prices of mealie-meal sold by retailers at about K58, 000 countrywide.
On Thursday, the African Milling Company (AMC) reduced mealie-meal prices to K50,000 and that it would print the recommended retail price on all its bags.
Previously the recommended retail price was K55,000 per 25 kilogramme bag of breakfast mealie meal.
Way to go bwana president.
nkani ya unga…ask KK!!
Year has ended ka George Chella still existing. I don’t like The Post newspaper, I never ever bought that paper. Now with online, every time I google that website, I get virus warning.
KK days are back. Those who were there remembers what I am talking about. KK himself said he is happy because King Cobra picked up from where he left. Whatever that means.
KK is a f.o.ol who is now only fit to be laughed at…
#3 Who cares whether you read the post or not. The paper has wide circulation and is full of good news. Millers including GBM know that they are over pricing.
Of course You do care otherwise you wouldn’t have bothered replying to his post! Na nsoni mulibe bambo cadre!
The President is pretending, who authorised maize to be allocated to cadres and export to neighbouring countries was it not Plot 1 and now today he is pretending as though he has no idea what is happening in the country. PF will get all this tax from millers by asking for donations, this is an indirect way of looting the economy. It is end of the world for Zambia because we are moving backwards
APG is his ATM they have been giving SATA and Kabimba bribes for years.
This President does not know what he is doing. He made all sorts of promises just to get elected but the average Zambian is now suffering compared to the previous 5 years before Sata took over.
this is bad news for the opposition – they will have nothing to say when they have the planned rallly – I feel pity for them – imagine holding a press briefing only to tell girls not give sex to their pf boyfriends.
Dont just issue misguided statements,come out of state house and see the situation for yourself.
CNP is now realizing that league yalikosa!! being a president is no child play. Shikulu just admit you have failed to govern us. where are the actions?? No wonder KK said unless you are undersomeone
Ati man of action.the moron has now realised that being s repulican
president is not as easy as thought. welcome to the real world.
Must State House comment on everything, where are the line Ministers???????
@8 UNFORTUNATELY, THATS THE MESAGE HH HAS FOR THE RALLY GOERS- TO GO AND INSULT WOMEN THAT THEY BITCH AROUND WITH PF BOYS AND THAT THEY SHOULD STOP. WHAT A RALLY?
@11, IT DEPENDS ON HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ISSUE. A LINE MINISTER WOULD JUST BE IGNORED BY MILLERS. THEY CAN’T DO THAT TO SATA. IN SHORT UKUI FOODWA KWALIBA IMPORTANT AND COMMENTS CONCERNING FOOD MUST BE UNDERTAKEN BY HE.
WHY CAN’T UKWA HIMSELF SAY IT IN PERSONAL BALETINA INSHI KANSHI?
Mr President, the way forward to break this cartel of millers is simple, Nationalize them. These Muzungus for to long have taken advantage of the situation. In addition it is these same companies, that have stock piled and or exported the excess crop and now they want subsidies from the GOVT. Nationalize and take management control of these companies and lets move forward. In addition WHAT is FRA doing those chaps are the most corrupt and have no idea what is on going.Â
He can not do anything to these mzungus they the same people who have been supporting him for years when he had nothing. now they bribing him for favours.
Letthemarketdecidethecorrectpriceofmealiemeal.Governmentinterferanceiswrong.SataoncemockedRBthathedidnotknowthepriceofmealiemealwhenitwas45pin.
If you leave it to Market forces it will be 100pin a bag mwanna. NATIONALIZE and kick out these muzungus who are having a monopoly. The whites only did one thing kick everyone in the ass whom they ever ruled. Now its time to kick them too just as did RSA.Â
Please take your computer for repair the comma key. Or maybe you were using new phone and you don’t where to find commas and space.
Palibe cabwino pali President uyu! Nicisilu ci munthu ici. Mr 7 guns does not know how to farm. He is only specialized in poaching and changing title deeds of public houses into his own name. Someone has a long and disgraceful trail of illegal property acquisitions!
Is George Chellah the PRESIDENT of Zambia now? Difficult to know who’s in charge when we don’t see the Republican President answering questions etc …
We have been hearing these retorics all we need are results not these knee jerk reactions after HH embarrassed you bye buying melie meal at k75 000 , now chellah u r talking crap
# 14 The Saint, Please take your computer for repair the comma key. Or maybe you were using new phone and you don’t where to find commas and space.
KK’s days were fabulous.Free education,free meali meal,free rides on UBZ for kids.We really enjoyed the friuts of this country.Now u’ve sold everything including the victoria falls.your privatisation has brot nothing but left a trail of misery and destruction.
Mr president jst nationalise these milling companies they are playing with the lives of the masses.The other option is 2 depart 4rm maize dependance 2 cassava.
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