VEEP ASSURES THAT FARMERS WHO SUPPLIED MAIZE TO FRA WILL BE PAID

Vice President Mutale Nalumango says government is working to ensure that all farmers who have supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) are paid so that they can participate in the next farming season.

And Mrs. Nalumango has urged Parliamentarians to encourage their constituents to buy maize and mill it through hammer mills to reduce on the cost of mealie meal.

She says Zambia National Service (ZNS) has not stopped mealie meal production as they have decentralized their operations by accrediting some shops to sale the commodity.

Speaking in Parliament during the Vice President’s question time, Mrs. Nalumango notes that the demand for ZNS mealie meal is high, therefore people should take advantage of the community maize sales and buy a 50 kg bag at K330 and have it milled.

She adds that people will get more value from milling their own mealie meal as maize is readily available including in areas affected by drought.

Mrs. Nalumango was responding to Mkaika Member of Parliament Peter Phiri, who wanted to know if ZNS has stopped producing mealie meal or there is no maize in the country as the product is currently unavailable in his constituency.

Meanwhile Mrs. Nalumango says government, through the Ministry of Technology and Science will engage MTN Zambia on the delays by the service provider to pay social cash transfer.

She was responding to a question raised by Kantanshi Member of Parliament Anthony Mumba, who wanted to know why it has taken long for the government to address these concerns which have been brought to their attention.

According to Mr. Mumba, people in the constituency are concerned that mobile service providers like MTN have not been paying the social cash transfer on time.