The Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) has accused mealie meal traders of exploiting consumers by selling the country’s stable food above the recommended retail price.

MAZ president Allan Sakala has expressed deep concern that traders have continued to sell mealie meal at high prices when the millers are still selling the product at low price.

Mr Sakala has told Qfm News in an interview that it is unfortunate that mealie meal traders have continued to exploit consumers with high prices.

He says traders should exercise morality in their dealings because millers are still selling their Mealie meal at a low cost.

Mr Sakala says the actual recommended price should be Sixty five kwacha per 25kg bag of breakfast and sixty kwacha for roller meal.

He adds that it is immoral for traders to sale Mealie Meal above the recommended retail price.

Mealie mealie in some parts of Western province is fetching as high as K90 for a 25kg bag of breakfast and K85 for roller meal.

GOVERNMENT has assured the nation that there is enough fuel stocks in Zambia, contrary to some media reports.

Ministry of Energy and Water Development Permanent Secretary Charity Mwansa said there was no need to panic as there were enough fuel stocks in the country.

Ms Mwansa said the purported fuel shortage being experienced at some filling stations was as a result of distribution issues between Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and their dealers.

“I would therefore like to take this opportunity to urge all the OMCs to ensure that they enhance their logistics with a view to putting in place effective distribution measures of fuel to their dealers using distribution outlets in Ndola and Lusaka which have enough fuel stocks between them,” she said.

She said the inability to build sufficient stocks of fuel strategic petroleum reserves was attributed to problems recently experienced by Indeni Oil Petroleum refinery which had led to its intermittent shut downs.

The intermittent shut downs that had rocked Indeni recently were mainly due to failures in some of its key equipment in the plant in Ndola.

“These problems are expected to be resolved when the refinery undergoes its scheduled closure for maintenance in October 2013 for a period of 40 days. During this time, major works are expected to be carried out in order to overhaul the refinery,” she said.

Ms Mwansa said her ministry had already put in place measures to ensure the fuel deficit that would be created by the closure of the Indeni refinery plant would be bridged through importation.

She said in order for the interventions to run smoothly, Government needed players in the supply chain to take their respective roles seriously.

She said Government, through her ministry, was committed to ensuring the security of fuel supply in the country and that any actors in the supply chain who would be found wanting would not be spared.

Ms Mwansa said Government was cognisant of the importance of energy as the engine of the national economic activity and as such it always worked towards ensuring adequate supply of fuel.

She cautioned motorists and members of the public to desist from jumping to conclusions immediately one dealer ran out of supply.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has unearthed a scam where people are diverting maize destined for Food Reserve Agency (FRA) deports to neighbouring countries.

Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Steven Kampyongo, said in an interview in Chipata that unscrupulous businessmen in border towns of Eastern Province are diverting the grain to Malawi and Mozambique.

Mr Kampyongo, who could not name the culprits, said police are investigating the matter and will ensure that those involved in the illegal activities are brought to book.

He stated that government will be carrying out joint operations at border points considering the porous nature of the entry points across the province.

Mr Kampyongo said the Ministry of Home Affairs expressed concern about the matter because it has the potential to lead the country into food insecurity and pose a threat to the peace of the nation.

He advised those with intentions to export their grain to follow procedure and ensure that they have required documentation before doing so.

Mr Kampyongo noted that Zambia is under pressure because of the low production of maize in the SADC region.

“Most countries in the region have a deficit. We understand that our economy is a free market economy but what we want is people to follow the legal procedure when exporting the grain because we have government-to-government agreements with countries like Malawi,” he said.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Steven Kampyongo has instructed the police commend to identify all the wrong doers in the service in all parts of the country.

Mr Kampyongo said this is in an effort to get rid of bad elements in the police service to ensure that the police starts operating professionally and diligently.

Mr Kampyongo noted that there are a few individuals in the service who are involved in illegal activities.

He observed that there has been lawlessness, especially with the regard to road traffic offenses.

He said it is for this reason that the Ministry of Home Affairs will change its strategy on police check points in order to curb illegal activities at the check points.

The Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) in Southern Province has opposed plans by the government to reform the Public Service Pension Scheme ( PSPS ) saying the move was unattainable.

BETUZ provincial Deputy Chairperson Alice Mbula says his union has rejected the proposal by the government to give retirees salaries from their contributions saying government should stick to the current system of paying a lump sum.

Mrs. Mbula stated that going ahead with the reforms will make the relationship between civil servants and the government to sour because the majority of workers are not in support of the proposed reforms.

ZANIS reports the BETUZ provincial Deputy Chairperson to have said this in a statement in Mazabuka District, today.

She said once implemented, the reforms will confusion and untold sufferings on the part of the civil servants upon retiring saying government should consider looking for other options of raising funds for developing the country as opposed to pension funds.

Mrs.Mbula who supported the stance taken by ZCTU president over the matter said there is urgent need for the trade mother body to mobilize workers throughout the country to reject the reforms which she described as being oppressive.

She further said her Union has opposed plans by government to effect an adjustment on the retirement age of Public Service workers from 55 to 65 years saying there is need for government to implement that which is contained I the draft constitution.

“As a union representing the interests of the teachers, we offer support to the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions in refusing the proposal by the government that retirement age be adjusted to 65 years. The position should be that which is reflected in the draft constitution, Mbula stated.

She charged that the issue of retirement age should be optional at 55 years and that workers should be allowed to continue receiving their salaries until they are paid their terminal benefits.

Mbula has since challenged the technical committee drafting the constitution to present the final document to both government and the public because the 90 day period has already elapsed.

Former Economics Association of Zambia President Noel Nkoma has observed that government’s delay in paying local suppliers is affecting the growth of the SME sector.

Mr. Nkoma said most SMEs are struggling to keep their businesses running after supplying their goods and services to the government which has delayed in paying them.

He said government is holding up huge resources belonging to various SMEs in domestic debt.

“What has happened is that government has focused on dismantling the foreign debt stock neglecting the domestic debt which has been swelling over the last few years. Government is busy contracting various suppliers without paying for their services and goods,” Mr Nkoma said.

Mr. Nkoma said a number of SMEs are now folding up and are losing assets to banks from where they obtained capital finance.

“The biggest challenge facing SMEs today is the lack of capital. Now if an SME will fight to get capital and they get an order from GRZ, they literally throw in every ngwee in that order because they know it is GRZ as their client but now GRZ is delaying payment which is killing the SME,” he said.

Mr. Nkoma noted that government is the major buyer of goods and services and should be responsive to the needs of the SME sector.

Mr. Nkoma who is also Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Betternow Finance Company, a micro finance lending firm said the SME sector is the engine of economic growth which should be supported by all.

He was speaking on a radio programme on Hot FM called Midweek Business monitored in Lusaka.