Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) says President Edgar Lungu’s warning that government could introduce price controls if miller’s continue exploiting consumers is a threat on the operations of the private sector.
CSPR Civic Participation and Advocacy Programme Officer Maxson Nkhoma says President Lungu should realize that Zambia is a free market economy where prices are determined by the forces of demand and supply.
Mr. Nkhoma says President Lungu should accept that things are not well in the country due to operational challenges affecting millers in their production.
He says it is a known fact that the power deficit current the country is facing has contributed massively to the escalating mealie meal prices because millers are spending a lot on their production.
And Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda says Government is concerned with the high cost of fertilizer in the country which most farmers cannot afford.
Mr. Lubinda says this high cost of fertilizer means the country should expect reduced production in the coming farming season.
He however, says government is looking at how best it can intervene to help reduce the cost of fertilizer so that as many farmers as possible can afford and thereby produce as much as they can.
Mr. Lubinda says government owes it to the farmers and to the citizens at large to ensure that the cost of fertilizer goes down.
He states that this is considering the impact farming has in reducing poverty in the country.
The Agriculture Minister has since encouraged relevant stakeholders to come up with suggestions on how best government can help reduce the cost of fertilizer.
THE BEST IS DISBAND MILLERS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA SO THAT MILLERS CAN DETERMINE PRICES INDIVIDUALLY ACCORDING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE COST OF PRODUCTION AS OPPOSED TO A CARTEL-LIKE HIKING OF PRICES.
Dear Hon. Lubinda MP, when we are telling you that you and PF have destroyed agriculture you ague. How will you reduce the cost of fertilizer is what you should be informing us and this should go with the timelines as well. Look here 2016 will be too hot for you and your PF if you do not manage well the agri-sector of the economy. It seems a lot of things are out of your depth. Please do not tell us to pray, workout solutions or ask for help.
“The Agriculture Minister has since encouraged relevant stakeholders to come up with suggestions on how best government can help reduce the cost of fertilizer.”
How much is fertilizer from NCZ? why should it be expensive? global!
We employed to do the job not always asking for those with solutions.
We employed you to do the job not always asking for those with solutions. You always been boasting that the PF is extremely capable.
Crazy association/Ngo.Zambians have just killed the country by not being patriotic.A Zambian will be used by foreigners n milk His/her country.Please Ba Lungu open more milling plant.Have u seen the price of cement?competition.Open more and more milling plant before March 2016.The indians and other foreigners control the millers’s association.Lubinda banned the importation of edible oils.What has happened immediately he banned indians increased the price by 100% in order to milk Zambians.These so called zambian inddians have destroyed mother Zambia with their crazy prices.They are quoting everything in dolars making the shortage of the dollars.We are telling the govt to be serious and not to tolerate these chaps who are supporting well known opposition party by hiking the prices.
Crazy association/Ngo.Zambians have just killed the country by not being patriotic.A Zambian will be used by foreigners n milk His/her country.Please Ba Lungu open more milling plants.Have u seen the price of cement?competition.Open more and more milling plants before March 2016.The indians and other foreigners control the millers’s association.Lubinda banned the importation of edible oils.What happened? immediately he banned the importation indians increased the price by 100% in order to milk Zambians.These so called Indians Zambians have destroyed mother Zambia with their crazy prices.They are quoting everything in dollars n making the shortage of the dollars.We are telling this govt to be more serious and not to tolerate these chaps who are supporting well known opposition party by…
Those with solutions blah blah blah…, so you think that you are fattening yourself to ask for solutions from us? Just the other day your boss was asking for solution about the economic quagmire that you misfits have put us through. The kwacha has lost value by almost two thirds and this economy being import driven coupled with load shading you want the price to be cheaper.
I thought you morons were boasting about your solar plants to manufacture cheap meal meal, what has happened? Threaten them with price controls? Or are you simply telling us that you have reached the dead end. Just accept that you have failed and let others with brilliant ideas try as well HH is the man not chakolwa.
It seems to me that their is are deeper problems or reasons in both these issues-high mealie meal prices and fertilizer. That is that our mode of economic production does not accord with our mode of society. It seems there is a high demand for the government to intervene in the free market mechanism to protect the majority poor citizens which is at odd with the free market principles of non-interference. My own solution is that we need a strong mixed economy. The government ought and must be involved ,simultaneously with the private sector, in both the production and distribution of fertilizer, seeds etc and the production and distribution of mealie meal in the interest of protecting the poor against the greedy forces of neo-liberal market forces.
Our economy has serious fundamental weaknesses than we are willing to acknowledge. All the symptoms of a failed economy (high unemployment, heavily depreciating local currency, dwindling forex reserves, uncontrolled street vending, incompetent politicians, incompetent civil servants, lack of a manufacturing base, corruption, wrong policies, etc) are being experienced, but we have chosen to bury our heads in shallow sand! There is only one solution: find competent Zambians to lead our politics, civil service, parastatals, etc. This is not easy, but it is the only solution! Like it or not, what we are seeing is a result of widespread incompetence!
Mr. Maxson Nkhoma, you are absolutely correct. President Lungu should realize that Zambia is a free market economy where prices are determined by the forces of demand and supply. And not only Zambia, the WHOLE WORLD! It is a UNIVERSAL LAW! EVERYWHERE!
Unfortunately it seems that this dull clown in State House has never heard of it! He thinks he can just order and the nature of things will change.
Well Mr Jamesoni, ORDER gravity to be abolished tomorrow and all the copper will jump out of the ground by itself.
And ORDER the heavens to open and Kariba dam will be full tomorrow!
What an incapable, ignorant nincompoop! How is it possible for someone that does not even understand the natural law of SUPPLY and DEMAND to end up President of a country????????
The CSPR official seems not to know the function of his organisation, that is advocating for poverty reduction. Instead of supporting high prices, he should be giving humane alternative solutions.