By Isaac Zulu
Private Sector Development Association chairperson Yusuf Dodia has attributed the increase in mealie meal prices to the high cost of doing business.
In an interview with Daily Revelation, Dodia said that the increase in mealie meal prices cannot be attributed to the continued export of maize.
“It is not only mealie meal prices that have gone up… everything has been increased. The price of fuel has gone up and electricity tariffs have been increased. Energy impacts on everything we do in business,” Dodia explained. “The way water supports life is the way energy supports the economy. So if fuel prices are interested and electricity tariffs are high, the cost of doing business becomes high. And prices of goods and services, including mealie meal prices are increased accordingly.”
He said that the continued export of maize to neighbouring countries can only result in the shortage of mealie meal and not price increases.
“The question of whether the increase of mealie meal prices can be attributed to the export of maize does not arise. The only thing that would result from the export of maize is the shortage of mealie meal. But I don’t think we have the shortage of mealie meal in Zambia, what we have is an increase in mealie meal prices,” Dodia said.
And Dodia has said that the current ZESCO load shedding being experienced in the country should not be attributed to the low water levels in the Kariba North bank.
He explained that Kariba North bank only accounts for one third of the national electricity supply.
“Kariba North bank power station only produces 1,080 megawatts, we have 700 coming from Kafue Lower, another 700 coming from Kafue Gorge. We have 120 from Itezhi-tezhi, another 120 from Livingstone and 300 from Maamba Collieries. If you look at those figures, you will realise that Kariba North bank only produces one third of the national electricity supply,” Dodia said. “Therefore, I am inclined to agree that the challenge of load shedding should not be attributed to the low water levels at Kariba North bank station to an extent of being subjected to 12 hours or six hours of loadshedding, which in turn is adversely affecting businesses in the country.”
He said that there is lack of stakeholder engagement on how the power utility should carry out the loadshedding, so that the exercise can be executed in an organised and rationale manner.
“I think that the people or institutions mandated to load shed have not been discussing with stakeholders on this matter and agree on how to schedule their load shedding. In South Africa, for example, where ESCOM provides electricity in that country and has been load shedding for the past six months, they have ensured that all stakeholders are involved. They have been able to use the local television and radio stations to send out messages to the community,” said Dodia. “They would tell a particular community that their electricity consumption has reached 80 per cent and their area will be load shed in the next two hours so that they make switch off their geysers, electric kettles and other electrical appliances. Then after two hours they would tell them that their electricity consumption has reached 60 per cent and the area will not be load shed. They do their load shedding in a rationale manner, unlike here where we think that people can stay for 12 hours without electricity, and it doesn’t matter.”
