THERE is no way millers on the Copperbelt can export mealie meal because Government has not issued any export permits for the staple food, African Milling Limited General Manager Jomo Makululu has said
Mr Makululu told Milennium TV that exporting maize without permits would amount to smuggling and that millers were law abiding businesses.
He explained that mealie-meal exports were done in line with the quotas granted by Government through the Ministry of Agriculture.
Mr Makululu said export quotas limited the amount of mealie-meal that millers were allowed to export and that Government had not issued any export permits.
“There is no export of mealie-meal, exports are done per quota and quotas have not been given and that is the only way you can export, you cannot export otherwise it will be smuggling. We are very compliant. I have just explained what was happening previously because if you want to export, you go to the Ministry of Agriculture and you get an export permit and collaborate with the Ministry of Commerce and all the other agencies.
“There was a limit, there were quotas that were being given to all the millers so you can be allowed to export so much but as at the moment, we are not exporting because there are not permits anyway,” Mr Makululu said.
He was reacting to claims by the government that some millers on the Copperbelt are exporting mealie-meal.
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