Mealie meal price sabotage saddens Lungu

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 10:45:14 +0000

INITIATIVES by Government to lower mealie meal prices are being sabotaged by unscrupulous actors in the milling business, President Edgar Lungu has revealed.

Speaking to Journalists at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport upon arrival from Israel yesterday, President Lungu said his Government would not allow unscrupulous individuals to sabotage ideas that would benefit the Zambian people.

He disclosed that the recent tripartite agreement signed between the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), the Grain Traders Association of Zambia (GTAZ) and the Millers Association of Zambia (ZAM) has not yielded the desired reduction in the mealie meal price.

“I have heard complaints and I will follow it up immediately, because there are some elements of truth to it,” President Lungu said.

The tripartite agreement was expected to result in mealie-meal prices being reduced between K10 and K15, but according to consumers the price of mealie meal has not been adjusted accordingly.

President Lungu also promised that he would revisit the decision regarding the agreement if necessary after his investigations.

“I am not afraid of revisiting the decision. I will revisit it and make sure it works. The idea is what works for the people, works for me and my political party.

 “But if what works for the people is being handed by people who only care about their pockets than the people, then it is only reasonable for me to revisit the project and make sure that we identify people who are working against our plans.

“If the plan did not work, we will follow it up and we will stop being partners with those who are insecure and greedy because we want our ideas to work for the benefit of the people,” he said.