Kazungula District Farmers’ Cooperative chairperson, Mwiinga Muchabila, has warned that any further delays by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to commence the maize marketing exercise would jeopardize farmers’ preparation for the 2012/2013 farming season.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS yesterday, Mr Mwiinga noted that most farmers in both Kazungula and Livingstone are deeply concerned with the delay by the FRA to start the maize buying exercise.

“I can tell you that most farmers are not happy with the delays by the government to start the maize buying exercise and are left wondering whether the government would buy their maize and how much quantity,” said Mr Mwiinga.

He observed that farmers were worried that with only three months left before the on-set of the rains, time was fast running out to enable them start buying farming inputs in preparation for the2012/2013 farming season.

Mr Mwiinga said the delay has also forced many farmers to sell their maize at prices as low as K22, 500 per 50 Kilo gramme bag.

Meanwhile, Mr Mwiinga argued that the move by the government to compel farmers to open bank accounts will work against farmers whom he said have no knowledge about banking services.

He also wondered how farmers will be able to sustain their bank accounts when farming was a seasonal activity characterised by a host of uncertainties.

“This move will work against farmers in that most farmers have no other means of generating money to sustain their accounts and so their bank accounts risked closure by the banks,” said Mr Mwiinga.

He cited his cooperative which had about 12,000 members but only 100 had bank accounts.

Mr Mwiinga urged the government to continue with the old system of payments through the banks without them opening personal bank accounts.

He further implored the government to clear the air on whether farmer’s cooperatives countrywide will be engaged to buy maize on behalf of the FRA during this year’s marketing season.

“We have heard some rumours that government will not engage farmers’ cooperatives to buy maize on behalf of the FRA this year and I call upon the government to clear the air on this issue ,” Mr Mwiinga said.

And Livingstone District Commissioner, Paul Sensele, said the PF government was fully committed to buying the maize from farmers across the country and urged them to be patient as measures were being worked out to commence the exercise as soon as possible.

ZANIS

Ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has a chance to come up with a national budget that will reflect the aspirations of the Zambian people, MMD Deputy National Secretary Chembe Nyangu has said.

Mr. Nyangu advised the PF government to come up with a budget that is in line with its manifesto while trying to address the needs of the Zambians.

He noted that the PF government has been complaining that the 2012 budget did not meet its (PF) goals because many submissions were done by the MMD government.

He told ZANIS in Lusaka today that now that the PF government will clock a year in office in the next two months, it should make its own budget that will reflect its desires and prove that it can work.

Mr. Nyangu said the MMD will however not make any budget proposals to government but will instead make its submissions through debates in parliament.

He also advised that the budget should relate to the PF’s manifesto of job creation, poverty reduction and economic growth for the country.

He has further suggested that next year’s budget should address all the issues that characterized the performance of the current budget such as creation of new districts and continued realignment of ministries which he said has affected the smooth running of the budget.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) deputy spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa called for a budget that will focus on investment and not consumption.

Mr. Mweetwa said the national budget has been more biased towards consumption and has had little emphases on investment adding that the latter was cardinal especially in addressing unemployment levels.

He explained that the budget has also been focusing on health, education and other social sector which means more resources are being spent on these sectors alone thereby neglecting other equally important areas.

Mr. Mweetwa has meanwhile welcomed the call from the Ministry of Finance for stakeholders to start submitting their proposals for next year’s budget.

He said consultation is important especially if the country is to produce a budget that will meet all the people views.

He added that proposal from stakeholders are very important stating that parliament although can help but might sometimes not ne relevant as it may just rubber stamp the document.

Mr. Mweetwa hoped that next year’s budget will include proper allocations for the constitutional process, new districts and all the other concerns.

The Ministry of Finance is currently receiving submissions from stakeholders for the 2013 national budgets which will be presented in parliament in October this year.

ZANIS

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has observed that government should have selected some sectors in which the revised minimum wage should be applied.

ZCTU deputy president Humphrey Lungu said this is because certain groups of employers will not be able to pay their workers the wages that exceed K500, 000 per month.

Mr. Lungu said government should have imposed the revised wages on sectors whose workers have capacity to pay.

He said there was need for the Zambian government and unions such as the Federation for Free Trade Union of Zambia (FFTUZ) to dialogue over the matter.

He told ZANIS in a telephone interview in Lusaka today that the security companies will face great challenges because they will be forced to hike the price of their services which will in turn reduce jobs.

Mr. Lungu stated that individuals working in the mining and the agricultural sectors among others should be paid the revised minimum wages.

He noted that government should not have imposed a standard pay of minimum wages for its workers.

Government recently announced a new minimum wage of not less than K520, 000 for domestic workers and over K1 million for shop and other workers in order to protect employees who are not represented by any union.

The revision of the minimum wage has generated mixed reactions from different stakeholders with some rejecting and condemning it while others have welcomed it.

But Chief Government Spokesperson, Kennedy Sakeni said two todays ago that the decision to raise minimum wages was final and non-negotiable.

And Minister of Labour and Social Security, Fackson Shamenda, yesterday warned that employers that would dismiss workers in reaction to the minimum wage would be dealt with by the law.

ZANIS

The Energy Regulation Board has expressed concern over its continued operation without a board of directors. Republican President Michael Sata dissolved the Board at the ERB about 9 months ago on grounds that the board was engaged in corrupt activities.

ERB chief executive officer Butler Sitali says there is need for the country to have credible regulatory system that will have predictable procedures and rules. He says this will help in attracting more investors in the country’s energy sector.

And Mr. Sitali has observed that the lack of planning and reinvestment into the energy sector is what has led to the critical power deficit in the country.

He however, added that the ERB has approved four projects that once completed would, contribute to meeting the growing demand of energy in the country.

Mr. Sitali has also called for the need to review the legislation that governs the regulatory body in order to adopt best practices that will enhance the operations of the energy sector in the country.

And deputy speaker of National Assembly Mukondo Lungu says continued power deficit especially in the rural areas has led to land degradation and indiscriminate cutting down of trees.

Mr. Lungu has also observed that the cost of fuel in the country has remained high; a situation he said increases the cost of doing business.

QFM