Tue, 03 Oct 2017 09:04:50 +0000
By SIMON MUNTEMBA
LOCAL transporters in Isoka are up in arms against the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) over the delay to pay them for transporting maize from various satellite depots to the main depot.
The local transporters who were contracted by FRA have bemoaned the delayed payment saying the situation has negatively affected them as they could not buy spare parts for their trucks.
And FRA executive director Chola Kafwabulula has promised the transporters and farmers that they will be paid as soon as the Treasury releases the money.
According to the loading order signed between FRA and transporters, the latter are supposed to be paid as soon as they finish transporting the given target.
However, one of the transporters, Mr Henry Silengo told the Daily Nation yesterday that the FRA owed him over K140, 000 for having transported maize from various satellite depots deep in the villages to the main depot in Isoka.
Mr Silengo said he was disappointed that FRA has not fulfilled its contractual agreement of paying him upon meeting his target.
Mr Silengo argued that he was failing to repair his trucks that had broken down because he cannot foot the costs due to the delayed payment.
He wondered how local contractors would honour contractual agreements when FRA kept holding on to their money.
“I am disappointed with FRA for failing to honour its contractual agreement. They owe me over K140, 000 which part of the money is a balance of last season.
And another transporter, Mr Jailos Zulu disclosed that FRA owed him K15, 000 from last season.
Mr Zulu contended that FRA has not paid him for transporting maize from the satellite depots in the villages to the main depot.
Mr Zulu has also appealed to the government to work on the feeder roads which were in a deplorable state.
Meanwhile, Mr Kafwabulula appealed to transporters and farmers to be a little bit patient as FRA was doing everything possible to ensure that they were paid.
