By Jane Chanda
The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has revealed that ‘industrial sugar’ intended exclusively for industrial and manufacturing purposes is being repackaged and sold directly to unsuspecting consumers in high-density areas.
In an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday, ZACA executive secretary Juba Sakala said the sale of industrial sugar for direct consumption was not only unlawful but life-threatening due to its unsuitability for human consumption.
“The sale of industrial sugar for direct consumption poses a significant public health risk,” Sakala said.
He said the association received alarming reports of industrial sugar flooding informal retail markets, despite sugar manufacturing companies denying involvement in this practice.
Sakala explained that industrial sugar continued to be sold openly and with impunity in markets such as Chaisa wholesales and Soweto Market, as well as Kasumbalesa and other border points.
Sakala noted that the Ministry of Health, Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA), Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and councils must urgently inspect, seize, and remove all industrial sugar from consumer markets to protect public health.
And Sakala said the association was concerned about the impact of new US tariffs on Zambia’s trade prospects.
“The tariffs are likely to reduce the competitiveness of Zambian exports in US markets and exacerbate foreign exchange shortages and economic strain,” he said.
Sakala said the introduction of a 10 percent baseline tariff on African agricultural exports and a proposed 25 percent tariff on copper imports by the US government would likely cause volatility in the global copper market.
“The rising costs will further burden households, especially with electricity tariffs increasing by 115 percent for high-use consumers in response to increasing energy import costs,” said Sakala. “The tariffs will place an even heavier burden on households.”
