• What is important is to observe that government is trying to stabilize the situation.
• Government requests the private sector to get involved in importation of mealie meal.
• Private entrepreneurs who are able to start importing mealie meal have been invited to do so.

Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) says government’s move to suspend excise and customs duty on mealie meal imports is aimed at stabilizing shortage of the commodity in the country.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Chamber President Dr. Chabuka Kawesha said it is government’s core responsibility to consult the private sector to find ways of dealing with challenges such as mealie meal shortages.
Dr. Kawesha stated that government has since requested the private sector to get involved in importation of mealie meal.
“Exports have been banned so there are no exports of mealie meal in Zambia. I think what is important is to observe that government is trying to stabilize the situation which is their core responsibility to ensure that when there is observed shortages in mealie meal, government in consultation with the private sector look at ways of dealing with the challenge that is there.”
“Government requests the private sector that we get involved in importation of mealie meal and we have notified our general membership to take advantage of the partial liberalization that has been undertaken in the mealie meal space,” Dr. Kawesha said.
He added that this means that private entrepreneurs who are able to start importing mealie meal are free to do so.
“So it is a partial liberalization, liberalized but controlled measure that government has undertaken and private entrepreneurs who are able to start importing mealie meal have been invited to do so,” he stated.
On Tuesday, Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane signed a statutory instrument to provide for suspension of duty on as mealie-meal, but only applicable when the commodity is imported by a holder of an import permit issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Statutory Instrument Number 10 0f 2023, was gazetted and came into operation on 6th April, 2023.
According to Dr. Musokotwane, the measure has been implemented to help address the shortage of mealie-meal in some parts of the country.
“By suspending the duty on maize flour/mealie-meal, the Government expects to see increased availability of the staple commodity.”