Mealie Meal traders in Lundazi District have defied government directive to reduce the price of a 25 kilo gram bag of breakfast from K70.00 to K61.00 citing high transportation costs from Chipata.
A check by ZANIS yesterday found that the traders had not effected reduction to K61.00 per 25 kilo gram bag of breakfast as directed by government.
One of the local traders, John Chibanga, Proprietor of Chibanga Traders said he had not effected reduction as directed by government and attributed this to the high transportation costs from Chipata to Lundazi.
Mr Chibanga said the traders were reluctant to reduce the mealie meal prices because of the high order prices in Chipata currently pegged at K65.00.
And another mealie meal trader Fraywell Chipeta of Seka-Seka Traders who sells a 25 kg bag of breakfast at K70.00 said most traders in Lundazi were still selling old stock.
Meanwhile, the two mealie meal traders have appealed to government to decentralize and set up milling companies in Chipata and Lundazi if the policy of reducing the price of the commodity is to be achieved.
But when contacted for a comment Lundazi District Commissioner Janet Palukani castigated the traders for defying the government directive.
Mrs Palukani however she said that her office would soon call for a meeting with the traders in order to come up with an acceptable price of mealie meal in the district.
Until we get a government in Zambia, the citizenry will continued being mocked. The PF is NOT a govt with a heart for the people. Even when they are in power, all their pronouncements are mere campaigns rhetoric intended to gain popularity for the party.
How many bus and taxi operators have reduced prices? How many cadres have moved out of bus stations and markets? How many violence perpetrating PF cadres have been brought to book? How many PF cadre land allocators have been caned?
With such a record, do you think PF are fit to fight corruption? To fight tribalism, nepotism, etc? To develop the country?
I doubt.
They will get what is coming for them.
@Dark lord
Then Zambians will start lining up for mealimeal like it was in kk ‘s era if you threaten the millers.
Last year, most farmers were taught a good lesson not trust PF and so they wont be in hurry to sell their maize to FRA this year. Implication of this will be shortages and high mealimeal prices.
Isn’t Zambia a free market economy? How do you bring in controls on unsubsidized goods and services?
This government should leave the maize business to the private sector. Foreign owned companies who came into the country to trade in agro produce business have started leaving, government interference affects them. The same companies were buying maize at the recommended price but got affected as government started offloading at cheaper price on the market. Why should I, a taxpayer, for maize subsidies? When companies leave, dollar stops coming, a dollar hike again affects me as a taxpayer. Time for Chikwanda & co to get it right or find another economy to run.
All above your concerns carry weight. Just you wait with our failed agriculture policies, Zimbabwe will soon regain its bread basket status the instant leadership changes hands. All current bottlenecks resulting from sanctions will be removed and, aid being wasted on Zambia will all be redirected to revamping productivity in Zimbabwe! Mark my words.
Tamu lati!!!! Mukaaa dabwaa. Fili eko tuleya. Time has a way of teaching its own lessons. Hope I am wrong but if I am right Zambia will dance to the tune. The effects of this kwacha fall are yet to manifest. We told you so!