Ministry of Local Government permanent secretary Amos Malupenga said his ministry is currently working with the Ministry of Justice to expedite the process of making amendments to the grain levy.
Mr Malupenga said this in Livingstone yesterday in response to concerns from councils which sought Government’s intervention in the collection of grain levy from FRA which has reportedly refused to pay despite the ban on grain levy having been lifted.
He said FRA has been disputing paying the grain levy on grounds that it is a strategic institution for national food security.
“They argue that they hold maize stocks for that purpose and not for commercial use. However, councils contend that FRA exports maize and also trades with millers, hence they also need to pay the levy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Government has procured 42 fire tenders from Spain which are expected in the country by June this year.
Mr Malupenga said his ministry has engaged local authorities over the provision of fire and rescue services and they are already being supported.
He said his ministry has already declared local authorities as fire authorities through a circular and is in the process of issuing a statutory instrument to support the declaration.
“The ministry plans to build a modern fire and rescue services training school in Kabwe and 11 provincial fire stations in 2018,” he said.
Mr Malupenga said the procurement process is at evaluation stage and that the construction of provincial fire stations will be completed with 15 houses for fire fighters.
This is civil servants discussions drinking chinika.
More money in pf pocket. While citizens continue to suffer the pf have nothing to show for all these taxes and levies they are putting you through. Wake up Zambia. Arise and let us get rid of the rat
I WILL NOT AT ONE TIME SELL MY MAIZE TO THIS POOR BUT THEFT INSTITUTION CALLED FRA. I WOULD RATHER SELL MY MAIZE TO MILLERS OR BRIEFCASE BUYERS THAN THE PF AGENCY.
We hope the Councils will utilise these levies accordingly by aportioning part of the funds towards feeder road maintenance and not channel it to allowances and other expenses and that every ngwee will be accountable.Any staff/officials involved or found wanting over abuse of these resources will be taken to task and jailed once discovered monies have been misappropriated/misapplied.We will keep an eye on councils how the funds shall be used as citizens.
Really farmers don’t really know what the Sam called millers do to there scales FRA gets exactly 50 killograms wake up .our government always wants the best .