Kabompo, Manyinga residents commends President Sata

Kabompo, Manyinga residents commends President Sata

Kabompo, June 13, ZANIS —– Kabompo and Manyinga districts residents have hailed President Michael Sata for the bold decision to remove subsidies on maize and fuel in order to save more money for national development.

Patrick Manjashi, a Manyinga resident said President Sata should not rescind the decision of removal of subsidies as it is in the interest of national development.

Mr Manjashi said the step the President has taken is like treating a boil on a person causing severe pain but resulting in good health later.

He added that the rising prices following the removal of subsidies is temporal as compared to the benefits Zambia is going to achieve later using the money that will be realized from the removal of subsidies.

Mr Manjashi said this in Manyinga during a series of meetings addressed by Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Deputy Minister, Danny Chingimbu in Kabompo and Manyinga districts.

Meanwhile, Mr Chingimbu explained that government has been losing KR 5 on every 50 kilogramme bag of maize sold to the millers.

He further explained that while government was buying maize from farmers at KR 65 it was selling the same at KR 60 to millers in the country and at KR 40 to some neigbouring countries.

Mr Chingimbu said government spent KR 100 million in 2010, KR268 million in 2011, KR 754 million in 2012 and KR 1.2 billion was expected to be spent by government on subsidies this year if subsidies
were left to continue.

He said this loss of KR 5 per bag of maize sold to millers resulted in reduction of government funding to Food Reserve Agency thereby causing delays in paying farmers through the banks.

Mr Chingimbu said such a scenario will no longer be the case now as the Patriotic Front government has removed subsidies to millers in order to save the money for sustainable national development.