Government has directed all the Millers on the Copperbelt to sell their commodities to traders with licenses only in order to curb the cartel of smuggling Millie Meal into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) via Kasumbalesa border post.
It also directed the millers to stop stocking Millie meal in warehouses and stores around the border post in Chililabombwe as they were encouraging smuggling of the commodities to DRC that had resulted into critical shortages of the commodity in some parts of the country.
This directive was issued yesterday by Agriculture Deputy Minister Rodgers Mwewa and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Alfridah Kansembe when they visited Antelope and Olympic Milling companies in Luashya and Mufulira Districts respectively.
Mr Mwewa said the Government was concerned with the number of traders who were buying the commodity and yet never pay tax adding that most of them were involves in the smuggling cartel.
He however, told Millers to comply with the new Government policy and said the exportation of flour to DRC would be scrutinized by the police officers on the road because it was recently reported that some millers were packaging Millie meal into flour sacks.
He urged Millers to apply for exportation permits that would indicate the the registration numbers of the trucks that would be used in the transportation of flour to DRC via Kasumbalesa border post to avoid other inconveniences.
“ The reason we are doing this is sustain the food security in the country and serve the Zambians, please do not just look at the profits you make from selling the commodity to Congolese but the well being of our people, we do not want our people to suffer because of you,” He told the millers.
Ms Kansembe told the Millers not pull out the from the new Governments directives and to continue selling the Mealie Meal to traders at the recommended price.
She said despite the export ban been lifted, the Government will continue controlling the the exportation of the commodity within the country through the police.
“Police officers will continue monitoring and inspecting all the trucks transporting goods to the DRC, patrols will also continue until the situation normalizes” she said.
And Antelpe Milling managing director Eleftherios Kaldis Said his company will comply with the new directive and will ensure that the local people have Millie Meal in the homes at all times.
Ba fikacolour u have just failed to run the government
Millers top management staffs are most the times involved in smuggling for their own benefits. During K.K time N.M.C sales managers used to sell flour to unlicensed briefcase men who were listed as fake bakers denying licensed bakeries the commodity which used to cause shortages of bread and rock buns.
I miss the adults who were in government before 20 September 2011.
lost cause!!
The question is why do millers prefer selling the commodity (Millie Meal) to DRC ?? Simple answer is they make more money selling it there.What government should do is find ways to boost maize & millie meal production to carter for both exports and local consumption not imposing restrictions which are depriving our country of the much needed forex & more money in the millers pockets(contrary to the PF manifesto). Exports help strengthen the kwacha. I suggest the PF cabinet start night school on economics
government please do the right thing. price controls are NEVER going to solve this spiral of a circus. we have a liberal market system, let the market regulate itself, remove the consumption subsidy on maize but concentrate on production. with these policies you are pursuing there are already unnecessary queues for millie meal when it is available
Our politicians are not sincere as far as maize is concerned.
sole maningi, impower the farmers please government
U have failed guys, MMD did better on this one, so why now??? DRC has owez been there relying on Zambian food so what has changed today?
2012-2013 Farming season hasnt been a good one and we are foreseeing maize shortage later this year.The truth is we have maize which can take us through the year if we dont export ,but our neighbours aremore hungry than us and they have the money. What should we do? should we export and then later in the year declair a food disaster because unlike DRC we do not have as much money.
Cabinet came up with such decision?
Congo always eat Zambian maize, so something is gone amiss
Yes we know that the maize is available, and the market is big, so create more
jobs by milling more and selling to all, in and out and in return government will also get more tax!!!
just close some chibuku companies, period.
Its good that the ministry has taken over the movement of meali meal and let be there restrictions,no corruption in the operation,coz will find ourselves with nothing. Come on zambians let us not kill our selves.
government and the knee-jerk reaction to situations all the time…
Elyo lwanya. KK is back!
Non-solution! What will stop a would be smuggler from conniving with a licensed trader. The smuggler will pay the trader a higher price and bear the risk of shipping the product across the border. Banning mealie-meal exports while maize can be exported freely clearly is at odds with any good intentions to make the product widely available.
Clearly won’t work. The measure has all manner of loopholes that are difficult to police successfully. We need more pragmatic solutions from the our government not hallucinations.