Africa-Press – Zambia. Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) vice President Given Lubinda has demanded that the Government pay all farmers owed money for supplying maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
During a media briefing in Lusaka on Tuesday, Mr. Lubinda charged that the money released by the Treasury to pay farmers on Monday was insufficient to dismantle the entire debt.
The Treasury on Monday released K1.284 billion of which K960 million is meant for outstanding payments to farmers under the 2020/2021 farming season, and K324 million is the 2022 first-quarter operational support fund for public schools.
Outstanding payments to farmers for the 2020/2021 season have now been reduced by 59% from K1.63 billion to K670 million after the release of the K960 million.
Mr. Lubinda said the late release of funds to farmers will negatively affect crop production in 2022 and result in maize shortages. He said the PF Government used to give farmers input early as evidenced by the bumper harvests Zambia used to record. Mr. Lubinda predicted that Zambians will face misery in 2022 plus social, political and governance hardships.
“Yesterday Government announced the release of K960 Million for farmers who supplied maize under the 2020/2021 farming season which was supplied to the Food Reserve Agency. We are disappointed to note that this money is coming so late in the season that our poor faces will not be able to utilize and invest in the 2021, 2022 farming season. Today, 4th of January, is two weeks after the closing date in which farmers can plant maize viably and the farmers to date have not received their payments,” he said.
“What awaits Zambia in 2022 is shortage of maize and this will be largely because of the recklessness of the UPND Government that failed to pay farmers on time. The UPND have always compared themselves to the performance of the PF and I want to report to you that the PF always ensured that the farmer had inputs before the onset of the farming season. What is worse is that this amount of K960 million falls greatly short of paying all the farmers who have waited so long for their money,” Mr. Lubinda said.
“Since we are now in the long awaited and much publicized New Dawn budget, we in the Patriotic Front urge the Government to release all the money to all the farmers immediately. There is no excuse whatsoever. They told us to wait for their 2022 budget. Can they release all the money owed to the farmers so that the farmers can go about their farming activities so that the farmers can support their livelihoods,” he said. Mr. Lubinda further asked the Government to pay suppliers of goods and services.
“We are aware that another category of self-employed people in Zambia are also equally suffering. Suppliers of goods and services to the Government have not been paid their dues since August 2021, thereby subjecting them to numerous financial hardships such as payment of salaries, rentals, insurance e.t.c. This is having a spiral effect on households and indeed on the economy generally. Now that the New Dawn budget has kicked in, we implore the Government to settle the local debt speedily so as to inject liquidity into the economy and to give relief to those suffering people who depend on suppliers of goods and services to the Government,” he said.
Mr. Lubinda said the reason the Government was giving over the delayed payment of suppliers was vague. “We are aware that there are two reasons they advanced for paying suppliers. One was that they are conducting an audit; surely Government machinery must not take four months to audit suppliers of goods and services,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lubinda said the PF will continue pointing out wrongs of UPND Government and provide alternatives. “Let’s prepare for a much better leadership and for a much better future,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
