Transporters engaged by Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to ferry maize bought from farmers in various depots in Luwingu district of the Northern Province have not been paid their dues.
ZANIS in Luwingu district reports that concerned transporters today complained that Food reserve agency owe them over K500, 000 for transporting maize in the last marketing season.
They said FRA owes a Moses Mumbi K19, 000, OBVICHAS General Trading k28, 000, B.K Chomba general dealer, K182, 000, Donald Simwelu General Dealer k40, 000 and Teddy C Mubanga general dealer k25, 000.
Others are Chrispine Chilufya General Dealer K75, 000, Mayengo General Dealers, Masaika Metal Fabrication K84, 000 and Hudson Emmanuel Kangwa enterprise K56, 000.
The transporters said if government through FRA does not pay them their dues it will be difficult for them to ferry 2014 FRA maize from various satellite depots in the district.
They complained that they spent their hard earned money to procure fuel and maintaining their vehicle in order to ferry the maize to safety but FRA has not paid them for one year.
They warned that if FRA fails to pay them their dues they will shun delivery of farm produce to FRA main depot situated at the main shed.
And when asked whether they had visited food reserve agency to claim their dues in Lusaka, they were told government has not yet released funds to pay transporters country wide.
Meanwhile government has bought over 265, 000 by 50kg bags of maize in Luwingu district which need to be transported from satellite depot to the main shed.
ubu ebupuba n’andapo, kutifye umuntu ififine achita am report nama shina yabantu no lupiya? teti bakuchita hijack? unprofessional journalism at its best eiyi.
mwine mushi ulifye chi-pu-ba atini!