Govt will maintain 10pc charge on maize exports-Siliya

Tue, 30 May 2017 11:10:58 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

GOVERNMENT will not remove the 10 percent charge on maize exports as requested by the grain traders in order to encourage the exportation of mealie meal and create jobs for the millers, says minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya.

Ms Siliya said that removing the 10 percent export charge on the grain would encourage its exportation and that would take away the much needed jobs from the millers.

She said that Government was bent on encouraging the export of finished products so that the much needed jobs were not taken away from the locals.

Ms Siliya explained that exporting raw products such as the maize grain was tantamount to creating jobs in other countries while the Zambia remained in need of the same jobs.

She pointed out that in the quest of ensuring that agricultural related jobs were created in the country, government was encouraging the exportation of finished agricultural products.

Ms Siliya said that Government would not remove the 10 percent charge on maize exports which was requested for by the grain traders.

Ms Siliya also said that it was important that the ordinary Zambians also benefitted from the 10 percent charge which was added to the treasury.

Meanwhile, Ms Siliya said that Avic International had proposed to build a new college of agriculture in exchange for the 300 hectares of land on which Natural Resources Development College (NRDC) in Lusaka was sitting.

She however said that in as much as the agreement was enticing, Government would wait for a comprehensive plan from Avic International before accepting the offer.

And Avic International Zambia Limited managing director Zhang Liauli said that the company was ready to build an agricultural college of international standard, in exchange for the land where NRDC was sitting.

Mr Liauli explained that the Avic International Zambia Limited was interested in the land at NRDC for the development of a commercial district.