Government has challenged the Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC) to be proactive in the control of the price of mealie meal in the country.
Commerce Trade and industry Deputy Minister Lwipa Puma says there is need to protect the rights of consumers by ensuring that all key players in the economy are satisfied.
Dr. Puma says his Ministry is aware that the liberalization of the economy has made it difficult for the government to control the prices of some major commodities in the country.
Dr. Puma was speaking in Lusaka today during his familiarization tour of the Zambia Competition Commission.
He urged the ZCC to speak out on issues that affect quality control and fair trade to protect the rights of the consumer.
Dr. Puma said quality control has remained a major challenge in the enhancement of fair trade and the creation of an understanding between traders and consumers.
And ZCC Acting Executive Director Chilufya Sampa said this year, the commission reviewed its position in relation to government developmental policies and plans.
Mr. Sampa said the Commission plans to review licenses and a number of application forms in order to reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
He also revealed that the commission has in this year alone dealt with over 100 cases of complaints from consumers which were successful due to ZCC’s high monitoring survey.
The Zambia Competition Commission was formed in 1997 under an act of parliament to prevent and restrict business practices that promote unfair trading in order to protect the consumer.
ZANIS
Awe mukwayi lundeniko fimbi mutubwesesheko ubunga..
You will never go wrong to feed the nation with Nshima and porridge too
ZCC is a good concept, consumers need to be protected from unscrupulous businessmen. I hope they are doing their job. Long live Nshima!
Where is leadership in this country? A minister thinking of price control in a liberalised economy? Ironically, the only way to sort out the problem is to let the markets forces ‘control’ the price of meali meal and the govt to incourage alternative meals. It sounds cruel, but is the only solution as this will attract a number of players in the market which will result in true competition. Too much love for nshima gets everyone screwed, yes even govt officials.
This deputy minister is talking about price controls in a liberalized economy. Seems he doesn’t even understand role of the Zambia Competition Commission. Zed! We have a long way to go guys.
Zambia Competition Commission. What is it and what does it do? Secondary school Civics I suppose.
Looks like the minister and ZCC are talking about 2 different roles for ZCC. Being a competition commision, one would expect to hear about what exactly are the issues affecting competition and therefore consumers in the mealie meal sector. For instance, are millers colluding and fixing prices; how si the market shared – do we have a few millers having too big a share of that market, leading them to fix prices. Do we have mergers and consolidations taking place in the sector, and how is this affecting mealie meal prices and product quality, and workers’ wages and conditions of service.
ZCC, what is it and what does it do? Does anyone know?
Allo Guys over there ! I miss the Nshima with chiwawa too much ! Mwadia mwatushilako na ifwe bane !