Mealie meal traders defy government directive

Mealie Meal traders in Lundazi District have defied government directive to reduce the price of a 25 kilo gram bag of breakfast from K70.00 to K61.00 citing high transportation costs from Chipata.

A check by ZANIS yesterday found that the traders had not effected reduction to K61.00 per 25 kilo gram bag of breakfast as directed by government.

One of the local traders, John Chibanga, Proprietor of Chibanga Traders said he had not effected reduction as directed by government and attributed this to the high transportation costs from Chipata to Lundazi.

Mr Chibanga said the traders were reluctant to reduce the mealie meal prices because of the high order prices in Chipata currently pegged at K65.00.

And another mealie meal trader Fraywell Chipeta of Seka-Seka Traders who sells a 25 kg bag of breakfast at K70.00 said most traders in Lundazi were still selling old stock.

Meanwhile, the two mealie meal traders have appealed to government to decentralize and set up milling companies in Chipata and Lundazi if the policy of reducing the price of the commodity is to be achieved.

But when contacted for a comment Lundazi District Commissioner Janet Palukani castigated the traders for defying the government directive.

Mrs Palukani however she said that her office would soon call for a meeting with the traders in order to come up with an acceptable price of mealie meal in the district.