Former first lady, Maureen Mwanawasa, has noted with sadness the shortage of maize in the country and the escalating prices of the commodity despite the good agricultural programmes that government has put in place.

Mrs. Mwanawasa also expressed sadness that Zambia was experiencing these problems when the country has abundant natural and human resources.

She said although Zambia has many solutions to these problems, it was failing to meet them because of the inadequate agricultural policies that are currently in place.

Mrs. Mwanawasa, who is also the chairperson of the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI), was speaking in Lusaka today at the celebration of Magaba Women Cooperative farmer’s day.

She said there is need for the government to make laws that will help the country come up with both short and long term measures to deal with these problems.

She said as a solution to the current problems, government should equip Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) with new machinery and also plan for the establishment of the new fertilizer plant to help revamp the agricultural sector.

She also urged government to seriously consider early planning and sourcing of fertilizer to support the agricultural sector, adding that late imports of fertilizer and farming inputs was costly.

She also urged government to subside the farmers to ensure that the country has cheap and affordable prices of food.

The former first lady said subsides should be done all year round to allow farmers diversify their agriculture activities using affordable inputs.

Mrs. Mwanawasa also appealed to government to increase the allocation of funds to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to enable it to have sufficient maize for consumption.

She also said there is need to revamp the growing of winter maize as a buffer to the unforeseen shortage of maize, adding that this will enable the country be a food basket and will export the maize when it has surplus.

She however called on all Zambians to work hard to ensure that the country is again turned into the food basket.

Meanwhile, Magaba Women’s Cooperative chairperson, Laima Ndhlovu, commended government for reducing the price of maize and fuel despite the many challenges the country is going through.

Ms. Ndhlovu said despite the prevailing global economic problems, government has reduced the price of maize and fuel for the benefit of all Zambians.

She urged government not to listen to critiques but instead advice them to offer constructive ideas.

Ms. Ndhlovu has also said government should provide small scale farmers with all required inputs in order to promote food security.

She said government should therefore extend the price reductions on all farming inputs in order for this to be realized.

ZANIS

Northern Province Minister Charles Shawa has advised Zambians to give President Rupiah Banda and his administration ample time to address the challenges facing the country.

Mr. Shawa made the call in an interview with ZANIS in Kasama yesterday.

He said it was totally unfair for some people to heap the blame on the government for the current problems that have hit various sectors of the country’s economy.

Mr. Shawa said the fact that some mining companies on Copperbelt province were laying off workers did not mean government was sitting idle over the matter.

He has since urged Zambians to rally behind President Banda’s administration in order to collectively overcome the hardships facing general citizenry.

He further said government was fully committed to addressing the social ills such as poverty and disease facing the country so that its citizens could live better lives.

ZANIS/WS/KSH/ENDS

The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has called upon government to quickly intervene in matter of bus operators in Lusaka who have refused to reduce bus fares despite fuel prices being reduced.

ZACA Executive Secretary Muyunda Ililonga says the decision by bus operators not to lower fares is aimed at exploiting consumers who have continued to pay exorbitant fares for both intra city and long distance routes.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that operators should not cite the depreciation of the local currency as the reason why there will not reduce fares adding that bus fares reduction is determined by the reduction in fuel prices.

“Lusaka bus operators are just displaying their selfishness to say they will not reduce fares because the kwacha has depreciated that is not true, fares are reduced when there is a reduction in fuel prices.” he said.

Mr. Ililonga explained that operators do not buy buses on a daily basis to this effect he has cautioned them to find other means of creating abnormal profit and not by exploiting people who use public transport.

He however, said the there is also need for government through the Ministry of Transport and Communication to put up a deliberate policy of blacklisting operators who do not comply to the laid down procedure of increasing and reducing transport fares.

Mr. Ililonga note that through government’s intervention, consumers can be assured that they are protected in all areas of development in the country.

He point out that though it is a liberalized economy consumer must be protected from all manner of exploitation in the hands of service providers.

“Government should now put in place a deliberate policy and ensure that all those that fail to comply to rules are black listed so that consumers are protected for the development of the country,” he added.

Mr. Ililonga further appealed to government to seriously regulate the transport sector to ensure that both consumers and transport operators benefit from the recent fuel price reductions.

He was reacting to a decision by Lusaka Bus Operators committee that they may not reduce bus fares because the Kwacha has depreciated.

ENDS/MM/AM/ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda  said he was happy with the status of wildlife in the South Luangwa National Park adding that more foreign and local tourists should be encouraged to visit the park and other game parks in the country.

Mr. Banda, who is in Mfuwe on a working holiday, said more effort would be channeled at encouraging investments in areas surrounding national parks as a measure of increasing foreign exchange earnings from the wildlife industry.

Mr. Banda was speaking in an interview with ZANIS when he viewed game in the South Luangwa National Park yesterday.

The President viewed the wildlife in the accompany of his wife Thandiwe, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, Li Qiangmin, Tourism Minister Catherine Namugala and Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) Director General Lewis Saiwama.

President Rupiah Banda, said his administration is working hard to enhance the tourism policy framework in an effort to promote growth of the industry.

President Banda said the policy would be enhanced to facilitate the effective management of wildlife as part of the effort in  developing the sector.

He said government was would not re-invent the strategy that other countries had successfully applied of using wildlife as a driver to tourism growth and overall economic development.

ZANIS

President, Rupiah Banda, says his administration is working hard to enhance the tourism policy framework in an effort to promote growth of the industry.

President Banda said the policy would be enhanced to facilitate the effective management of wildlife as part of efforts of developing the sector.

Mr. Banda was speaking in an interview with ZANIS when he viewed game in South Luangwa National Park yesterday.

Chinese Ambassador Mr Li, who arrived in Mfuwe yesterday to deliver Chrismas greetings to the President, offered to conduct more promotions to encourage Chinese tourists to visit Zambian destinations.

Mr. Li said he was impressed with the way Zambia has managed the wildlife sector as it is significant to the conservation of the environment in the wake of rising concerns of climate change and global warming.

Meanwhile, President Banda today took time off his holiday, to pay courtesy on traditional leaders of Mambwe district.

Among the six chiefs were Senior Chief Nsefu, Chiefs Msoro, Malama, Mnkhanya, Jumbe and Kakumbi all of the Kunda people of Malambo district.

The President held private talks with the traditional leaders.

President Banda started his 10-day holiday on December 23.

Among other prominent people who have so far visited President Banda at Chichele Lodge to deliver Christmas greetings are Bank of Zambia former Governor, Jacob Mwanza, and UNZA former Vice Chancelor Professor Robert Serpell.

ENDS/SJK/AM/ZANIS

A Clergyman has called on the church not to shy away from speaking out on national issues.

Anglican Diocese Central Zambia (ADCZ) Bishop Derek Kamukwamba says participating in national issues would help government perform better.

Bishop Kamukwamba says the church and government should be partners in national development.

He said this at the induction ceremony of Bishop Lackson Chibuye at Lusaka’s Saint Paul’s United Church of Zambia (UCZ) in Kabwata today.

Bishop Kamukwamba also challenged the church to get involved in matters of the environment.

He said the church should be in the forefront to talk on environmental issues such as preserving forests.

And newly inducted Bishop Lackson Chibuye thanked members of the UCZ for bestowing him with the title of bishop.