PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says the escalating commodity prices are unjustified and could be caused by sabotage by some individuals.
President Lungu said the situation is a source of worry for government hence the decision to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Mr Lungu said this when he paid a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, who welcomed the investigation of the escalation of prices of essential commodities.
Expressing his concern that some indicators have shown that the rise in prices of goods is as a result of sabotage, President Lungu said government is engaging suppliers to find a lasting solution to the problem.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has appealed to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu to help sensitise people on the dangers of Covid-19.
And Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba has commended President Lungu for constituting a team investigate the escalation of commodity prices.
Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said the rise in prices of essential commodities such as mealie meal and cement seen in recent times has impacted negatively on people’s lives owing to the high poverty levels.
The Mwinelubemba has since praised the president for instituting an investigation into the matter.
And Paramount Chief Chitimukulu has thanked the Head of State for ensuring timely distribution of farming inputs to farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme.
He also commended SEEDCO for continuously sensitising farmers in the region on important farming techniques.
He assured President Lungu that the people of Northern Province will continue to rally behind his leadership.
Meanwhile, the Paramount Chief has expressed concern over the poor state of the drainage system in Kasama town.
He also lamented on the flooding in Chambeshi area and the deplorable state of Chambeshi Ring road.
And in response, President Lungu attributed the blocking of drainages to poor waste management.
He said waste management is a responsibility of everyone and called for behavioral change
President Lungu also assured the Mwinelubemba that the Chambeshi Ring road in Mungwi will be worked on starting with the embankment.
President Edgar Lungu has described price hikes on some products as an act of sabotage because they cannot be explained.
President Lungu says there must be a good explanation for hikes in prices of commodities like cement.
He says the government is concerned with high prices of commodities and has assured citizens that something will be done about it.
He says those who have dominated the market like in the cement business should not abuse consumers.
President Lungu says government has no plans to introduce price controls because of some cartels in some sectors of the economy.
The President said this when he held a meeting with Paramount Chief Chitimukulu in Kasama President Lungu is in Kasama to open the PF Northern Province elective conference. – ZNBC.
