• Government believes in the private sector as the engine of the country’s development.
• Government will not crowd out the millers because they have the right to survive.
• That should not be the intention to have the millers out of business.
Vice President Mutale Nalumango says government has no intentions to push millers out of business.
Responding to a question in Parliament during the Vice President’s question and answer session, Mrs. Nalumango said Government believes in the private sector as the engine of the country’s development, hence it will not crowd out millers because they have the right to survive.
She however said there is need to see which millers to work with particularly those that access subsidized maize from Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
“Government believes in the private sector as the engine of the country’s development. So we will not crowd out the millers because they have the right to survive, that should not be the intention to have the millers out of business.”
“But we have to see which millers are these that particularly millers that access subsidized maize, the maize that has been produced at a high cost by the Zambian people to go and make that profit mark up. I think those should be left to handle themselves with the private sector,” Mrs. Nalumango
Meanwhile, Mrs. Nalumango said government will encourage Zambia National Service (ZNS) to fully participate in the market without tempering with the private sector.
“We have another milling company under ZNS in Mpika, we have another huge one in Monze, they are very big and they are working truly because they do not want to make abnormal profits.”
“In Mpika just about one or two weeks ago, they started selling their roller meal at K120 because even them they need that mark-up but it should not be an abnormal mark up. Yes we will encourage them also to participate without tempering with the private sector,” she said.
Mrs. Nalumango was responding to Kabwe Central Member of Parliament Chrizoster Halwindi who wanted to know if government has plans to capacitate ZNS and Zambia Correctional Service for them to procure more milling plants to help control mealie meal prices.
