By Agness Changala
Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) president Andrew Chintala says his
Association already has a solution to addressing the escalating prices
of Mealie Meal.
Chintala however, said the association is yet to conclude the negotiations with the government and see how possible what they are discussing, could be implemented in as far as making an impact to the consumers is concerned.
Last week, Finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane said the government will engage millers over escalating mealie meal prices as citizens have been hit hard by the rise in the mealie meal prices.
Dr. Musokotwane said government will come to an understanding with millers for them to reduce the cost of mealie meal through stocks held by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
He said for millers using the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) maize, there is no justification whatsoever for their mealie meal to be as high as what we see sometimes.
Speaking to Daily Revelation in an interview on how the millers received the minister’s message, Chintala said the minister’s concern was genuine and that regarding the same, they have started having meetings with the government to try and look at possible interventions in trying to assist or rather stabilise or deal with issues to do with
the pricing of the commodity.
He said there are a number of factors and dynamics which the association had started negotiating and discussed a few others.
“So it is just a question of what sort of modality or probably the modus operandi that should be looked at in terms of the kind of interventions. I think so far we have had fruitful discussions. You are aware that obviously this is a free market economy under which we operate and we are mindful of a number of issues but however, this is
national food staple which in my view obviously looking at the discussions and the direction of discussion, we should be able to find a fair and favourble position in terms of addressing the concerns raised by the minister,” Chintala said.
He said the association was already working with the government through FRA to address the high cost of mealie meal.
“Over the years even in the last two years, we have worked well with the government through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), in addressing the issue and I think we have solutions on the table already and it’s a question of concluding the negotiations and seeing how possibly this could be implemented in as far as making an impact to the consumers is concerned,” said Chintala
