Authorities in Northern Province have called on service providers and the business community in the region to immediately effect reduction of prices of goods and services in view of the drop in the cost of fuel.
Provincial Minister Charles Shawa said it was unfair for the business houses and transporters to continue charging exorbitant prices and fares on goods and services when the pump price of fuel has drastically reduced in the country.
Mr. Shawa said in Kasama yesterday that consumers needed to benefit from the reduction in the cost of fuel by accessing goods and services at a cheaper price.
The minister said there was need for the price of essential commodities such as mealie meal and transport to be reduced in the province so that people could afford them.
He said it was saddening to note that the price of mealie meal produced within the province was as expensive as that coming from outside the area.
Mr. Shawa has since urged local millers to make the price of their commodities affordable to the poor people.
He further explained that since the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has reduced the price of maize, milling companies should also reciprocate the gesture by reducing the price of their mealie meal.
And Bus operators in Mungwi district in Northern province have been asked to reduce bus fares for the distance between Mungwi and Kasama district following the reduction of fuel pump prices by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) last week.
The call to reduce the fares between Mungwi and Kasama was made by Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) District Secretary, Andrew Chungu today.
Mr. Chungu told ZANIS that minibus owners should urgently reduce fares from K8, 000 to K5 000, adding that failure to do so would mean stealing from the people.
Mr. Chungu, who praised government for reducing fuel prices, said the labour movement in the district was concerned about some transporters who did not want to reduce fares even after government has reduced fuel prices.
He wondered why transporters were not effecting the changes when they were always excited to increase the fares when the country experiences an increase in fuel prices.
He said bus operators in the district should not wait to be told to reduce fares because they were aware of the economic implications that their failure to do so might have on the district which he said was predominantly taken for peasant farmers.
The ZNUT district secretary also pointed out that since the Chitila-Kanyanta road has been rehabilitated, transporters should soon reduce the bus fares.
ZANIS/LS/KSH/ENDS
:)>- it was about time!
#1 About time for what?
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LET THERE BE FAIR PRICING OF GOODS AND SERVICES IN ZAMBIA. WE HAVE EXPLOITED ONE ANOTHER FOR FAR TOO LONG ALREADY. ANY JUNK FROM CHINA IS SO EXPENSIVE IN ZAMBIA. EVEN LOCAL COMMODITIES ARE PAINFUL TO BUY SURE! AWE! ITS A SIN TO EXPLOIT FELLOW MAN LIKE THAT!!!
#4 What do you think Sata has been saying all along?
NUMBER 2, I REALISE THAT MY STATEMENT WAS INCOMPLETE. BUT THAT WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT WHEN I EXHALED AFTER READING THE ARTICLE. OVERPRICING IS JUST TOO MUCH PA ZED. NOT JUST IN THE PLACES MENTION. IN LUSAKA MAKA MAKA! TWACHULA PAFULA!
I THINK BASHIKULU IS RIGHT ON THAT ONE MWE. ANYONE AND ANYTHING IS EXPLOITED. THE POOR HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. LEKENI NOMBA :-t
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This is nos the same as the bus operatort reducing bus fares.just new names of place and persons.ca we pliz have some news i.e mulongoti missing in action…isnt his medical leave over????
I thought supply and demand determine prices. Anyway MPS and other leaders stand to gain since they had 15% tax free salary increases
The crude oil price just went up by two dollars on the world market. Does this mean there will be an immediate impact on consumers in the Zambian market. You really can’t blame the guys that are adamant on keeping thier prices stagnant rather than reducing them. They’re perhaps looking at the trend and not what is prevailing right now.
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I call upon all the businesses in Zambia not to reduce their prices,The Govt should have thought through before they came up with all those higher prices of gasoline, by the way Petrol was too expensive in Zambia even before they increased it.Reducing prices of commodities and services is not a practical business sense in an economy like Zambia.
Thats one of the disadvantages of a free-market economy, the fact that goods and service providers are at liberty to charge whatever they deem appropriate. Consumers are the scape-goats for such a system despite its suppossedly many benefits.
Let Shawa start by telling RB to reduce his salary and those of his cronies. The businesses made losses in time of higher fuel price, now is their time to reap.
Jah will always provide, no matter how high de cost. A handfull of corn shall be enuff for a family of twelve. Truss’ me!
I like this forum I encourage all the Zedians Let us begin to contribute in getting back from these leaders and many years of misrule by doing the following; 1. Run for Parliament help to come with laws which make sense in the economic running of the country 2. Open businesses at the cutting edge business which brings change e.g salaries and a work culture which rewards hardworking.Zambia is a land of opportunities, Zambia is a land flowing with milk and honey.
Free market economy the stores or businesses can charge whatever price they want.No stinking minister or President has power to you down.Market forces Ladies and Gentlemen.
Free market economy the stores or businesses can charge whatever price they want.No stinking minister or President has power to shut you down.Market forces Ladies and Gentlemen.
Ba #15 flowing with honey? Try going back! Batata mukayabwelako ulubilo! Africa teyakwangalilako! Try! 😉
These suppliers want to survive the credit crunch…
who knows??? :-?:-?:-?:-?:-?8-|8-|8-|8-|8-|8-|
cutey,i guess we in the same country,how bout linking up over news eve,fireworks display @ Canning Exhibition…..what do u see,since we all have a common interest.BLOGGING on LT..
The government should stop asking people to reduce prices, and start to ramp up production. This economic issue cannot be solved from behind a desk, or by making a phonecall.
We need to get farmers to put as much land under cultivationa as possible.
It has to be all about increasing production. Artificially lowering prices only leads to shortages.