Samfya residents supports government on subsidy removal

Samfya residents supports government on subsidy removal

Samfya, May 27, ZANIS ——-A cross section of Samfya community in Samfya district of Luapula province have called on Zambians to give the PF government ample time to prove its projected returns of subsidy removal.

Some sections of the community talked to by ZANIS in Samfya feel that while the decision is a ‘bitter pill’ to swallow for common people, there is need for government to be given time for it to derive its intended benefits or fail its people as opposed to mere objection to the move.

Former Samfya District Commissioner Sylvester Chimfwembe who is also a small scale farmer, is among other Samfya residents who have welcomed the move saying time had come for attitude change for people shade -off the dependency syndrome on subsidy’s if the country is to move forward.

Mr Chimfwembe explained that if the decision to remove subsidy on maize, fertilizer and fuel was meant to save resources and channel them to other critical areas of development then it was a sound move worth the support of all in spite of the short term effects on people in the lower ranks of society.

Mr Chimfwembe also denounced some opposition political players whom he accused to be trying to gain mileage on the issue by what he termed misleading reasoning on the removal of subsidy’s, saying they were merely afraid of the developmental scores which would envelop Zambia on the part of PF ahead of the 2016 elections.

And the Samfya District Business Association (SDBA) says it acknowledges government’s intent to save funds by doing away with subsidy’s even though the immediate consequence of the action will be the effect of certain commodity prices and services being hiked.

SDBA Chairperson  Cosam Chimbini said the association would support the bold and tough decision by government  to remove subsidy’s which were benefiting both the poor and the rich in a bid to allocate the served funds to other equally demanding developmental projects it has prioritized.

The SDBA however, noted that there was supposed to be much sensitization on the matter to make people understand that subsidy’s are not sustainable without a time frame for any government, world over.

The association proposed that people such as small scale businesses and farmers be capacity built to plan or come up with visionary preparations attaching time in their respective endeavours of life.

Mr Chimbini said that for as long as the resources would be targeted to critical areas such as roads which would create an inter-link which would make doing business cheaper as shorter access routes would be opened to stimulate trading, farming and transportation of goods and services in general, people will appreciate the move in a long run.

In the same vein, Theresa Bwalya a trader and small scale farmer has also called on Zambians to give the PF government time to execute its developmental mandate.

Ms Bwalya noted that people were not against the removal of subsidies but were only anxious because of the disappointment they suffered at the hands of previous regime.

Meanwhile, SDBA has appealed for establishment of credit services in each district or enhancement of the Citizen’s Economic and Empowerment Commission (CEEC) finances in order for it to fully cover rural areas, Small Scale and Medium Entrepreneurs towards the creation of a cluster of mini manufacturing industries that will contribute to the development of the country.

The SDBA Chairperson said it was hoped that the envisaged newly tarred road networks and an upgraded INDENI refinery would trigger a chain reaction of market forces by bringing down prices owing to the conducive environment to do business.