The President of Citizens First (CF), Harry Kalaba, has called on the Zambian government to find a long-term solution to mitigate the high prices of mealie meal, the staple food in Zambia. In a recent statement, Kalaba expressed his concern about the temporary measures taken by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in agreement with millers to sell a bag of mealie meal at K160 ex-factory price after releasing 250,000 metric tonnes of maize to millers nationwide.
“Such measures are only temporary,” said Kalaba. “Once the amount of maize offered to millers runs out, the high prices will be the order of the day. We need a deliberate policy to mitigate the price of mealie meal,” he added.
To address this issue, Kalaba suggested that the Zambia National Service (ZNS) be called upon to help cushion the mealie meal situation. “The Zambia National Service, their job is food security. We need them to start getting mealie meal,” said Kalaba. He believes that ZNS, with its training in providing services to the country, should acquire land on a large scale to grow maize for milling purposes. “Government needs a deliberate policy to maintain the price of a staple food. What they have done is to release the strategic reserve of the millers that they have trust to give them mealie meal for two months. We need ZNS to begin doing mealie meal and have state farms. That would be for the purpose of maintaining the staple food,” he explained.
In addition to the mealie meal situation, Kalaba also provided alternative solutions to the fuel challenges faced by Zambia. “The remedy to the fuel challenges we are facing is to open Indeni refinery so that Zambia can have a bulk reserve,” said Kalaba. He believes that with the Indeni refinery running, there will be no need for the Energy Regulation Board to announce prices every month because the country will be cushioned. “Indeni has got the capacity to do storage fuel for 6 months. But somebody doesn’t want to do that because once they bring back Indeni, yonse amadilu yalapwa,” he said.
Kalaba has called on the government to find a long-term solution to the high prices of mealie meal and to consider his alternative solutions to the fuel challenges faced by the country. He believes that with the right policies and deliberate action, the country can overcome its current challenges.
“It is time for the government to take action and find a sustainable solution to these challenges,” said Kalaba. “We must work together to ensure the well-being of our citizens and the stability of our nation.”
