Africa-Press – Zambia. The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has challenged the government to actualize its plans to reduce mealie meal prices permanently. ZACA executive secretary Juba Sakala has charged that for a long time now, the government has been talking about finding a lasting solution to the rising mealie meal prices but no solution is found.
Mr. Sakala said that it is high time government desists from politicking on the matter and stops issuing statements aimed at appeasing consumers and that that government is well aware that it is supposed to incentivize mealie meal production but wonders what has caused them this inertia.
His comment follows a statement by Agriculture Minister Reuben Mtolo-Phiri who recently announced that the government is collaborating with millers on identifying areas in which they can be incentivized.
But last week Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma also disclosed that as a way of cushioning the high mealie meal prices in the country, the government has through the Zambia National Service’s eagles brand reduced the prices of 25 Kilogram bag of breakfast meal to K125 while the 25 KG bag of roller meal is now selling at k85.
This week, Agriculture minister Reuben Mtolo-Phiri said that the government is currently engaging with millers to arrive at incentives that will enable the country to see a reduction in the cost of mealie meal locally which has been on an upward trajectory recently.
Mr Phiri said that the government has already allowed millers to buy maize from the Food Reserve Agency-FRA- and also allowed to continue exports with a condition that this should help reduce the cost of mealie meal locally.
Mr. Phiri said that his ministry is currently talking to millers and other stakeholders on possible incentives for cheaper mealie meal on the domestic market especially that government is concerned with the ever-increasing price of mealie meal despite the country having surplus maize.
Mr. Phiri said that government is hopeful that millers will consider slightly reducing the price of the country’s staple food following a drop in fuel pump price and the export facility that allows for more profits that should essentially cushion the local market costs. Mealie meal in some places is currently fetching as high as K170 per 25kg bag of breakfast.
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