Co-operatives, Livestock and Fisheries Minister Emmanuel Chenda yesterday announced that the initial sanitary permit for Shoprite Stores to import chickens has been revoked. The minister said this in a ministerial statement to parliament in response to the point of order raised by Mazabuka UPND member of Parliament, Garry Nkombo.
Mr Chenda disclosed that the permit to Shoprite was issued by a middle management officer who did not seek clearance with his supervisors and has been reprimanded.
Mr Chenda said Government would only allow the importation of chickens if there is a deficit and the decision has to be agreed by all stakeholders.
“I wish to assure this House that the ministry will be vigilant when it comes to issuance of import or export permits. We will remain totally committed to national interest, while respecting international protocols on trade. We will ensure that our farmers and consumers are protected,” Mr Chenda said.
Mr Chenda said the ministry has an elaborate process of issuing import and exports permits, adding that the first step involves consultations with stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
The second step involves verification of the safety of the products by the Veterinary Department, for possible disease infection from exporting countries.
Mr Chenda explained that the Veterinary Department only issues an import permit in accordance with the Animal Health Act number 24 of 2010 and international protocols on animal disease control upon establishing that the products satisfy the import conditions.
“The third part of the import permit process is the issuance of an agricultural import permit by the department of agribusiness and marketing under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in accordance with the Control of Goods Act Cap 421 volume 24 of the Laws of Zambia.
“It is at this stage that economic considerations are made before the agricultural permit is issued. Considerations include import volumes, impact on domestic production and the sector as a whole. The permit is stopped at this level if it has negative economic consequences,” he said.
He said Shoprite Stores had applied for a sanitary permit for the importation of 75 metric tonnes of chickens, which is less than two weeks of its sales because they sell an average of 60 metric tonnes per week.
Mr Chenda said the next step was for Shoprite to apply for an agriculture import permit but the chain store did not do so and that the final import permit was not granted to them and no chickens were imported.
“I must state that no consultation was made with stakeholders and as a result, we have revoked the initial sanitary import permit,” he said.
And Mazabuka MP, in a attempt to prove that imported chickens are already on the market, smuggled a chicken in his jacket and later laid it on the table of the House, after raising a point of order .
However, speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini said Mr Chenda had qualified his statement that “as far as he was aware, there were no chickens being imported into the country”.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Finally, something sensible past the ninety days!!!
It was about time.Good move.
good stuff
“The speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini said Mr Chenda had qualified his statement that “as far as he was aware, there were no chickens being imported into the country”.
And yet Mazabuka MP laid a chicken on the table of the House as evidence of imported chickens, Is this speaker OK?
How could they tell whether it was a Zambian or South African chicken? And don’t talk about packaging, I can make that in my backyard.
malabishi ya uyu spika
Why is it that there are a lot of pronouncements and revocations in this government? At face value, it might look like they be listening to the people. But I think we have to rethink thhese things and get it right the first time. I bet some Minister allowed the importation, then the state house rebuked the barger, and now it is on an unnamed “Middle Management Officer”… Yashani iyi bane!
Psycho Mata & PF insanity in full swing. How can a junior civil servant issue such a permit without senior approvals. This madness has to stop! *****ic decisions which are quickly revoked after public outcry? Surely this is not the way to govern. At this rate, we’ll be messed up like Zim in no time, thanks to the chimps you voted into office.
Garry Nkombo is the man..hahahahahaha..viva ..let the chaps work..!
Please introduce another competitor that is as big as shoprite you cant let them have the monopoly
Uhh….. do you mean like Spar, Pick n Pay, Woolworths, or the new food hall at Game?
Guys, there is a difference between being able to smuggle one chicken across (…in your coat?) and bringing in 60 tons a week. Small traders smuggle goods across Zambia’s borders all the time and is very different from what Shoprite and other formal sector importers do.
As for considering local supply and demand when issuing import permits, this likely contradicts Zambia’s commitments made under the WTO, SADC and other regional free trade agreements that call for open borders. Ultimately, if South Africa can supply chickens that are proven safe to consume for a lower price than local producers can, it will be the (poor) Zambian consumer that pays the price. Better to improve Zambia’s own trade competitiveness.
Their decisions are driven not by what is correct but by what brings them popularity, even when it means lying through their teeth. Why did they have to make such a silly decision anyway, seeing the negative impact on our poultry industry? Are these guys okay upstairs?
As usual left-right left-right, left-right, left-right, about turn………. Eyes right……march marchmarch Eyes foward left-right left-right, left-right, left-right, about turn. 90 DAYS Nothing it is all about turn.
Iwe Champ @ 9 SA has an unfair competitive edge in the first place WTO is nonsense will SA import chicken from Zed they wont even import Zambian people that are taking Forex there on a yellow fever pretext. We have to nature our industries until they are mature enough. A free trade agreement between Zed and Zim, Zaire, TZ etc is fair not with SA you just cant compete with them not in your dreams. But we should not protect Zed industries at the expense of quality products
Champ are the type of Zambian chaos we should never allow to share mental thoughts. Inferior all the way to the nerve endings. Even the US and China protect their own local industries from bullish rich internationals smh.
Thugs are in power, God help us coz help from man is vanity
Viva Gary Nkombo.
@12, 13, etc… Zambia also benefits from free trade. Not only in the form of lower prices here in Zambia, but also through incentives to innovate and reciprocal access to markets for our own exports – if not chickens, then other agriculture and non-agriculture products (…like it or not South Africa is a major destinations for Zambian exports). While there may be times when market protection make sense (infant industry arguments, genuine SPS concerns, etc), this is not a matter to decide on raw emotion or with insult – like so many recent policies have been.
Good morning
The minister has done well to reprimand the junior officer for violating the chain of command. There is need for more professionalism on such jobs.
We can’t start importing chickens in Zambia when we are supposed to be looking for diverse ways to market our agricultural output like livestock, eggs etc. Local farmers should be protected at all costs because they don’t only feed the nation but they also play an important role in boosting the economy and sustaining the national development.
Certain workers in Shoprite and Pick n Pay have corrupt deals with suppliers in South Africa. They want to extend these deals to their Zambia outposts so they will try by all means to get more outlets wherever Pick n Pay and Shoprite expands. Watch them They will try and smuggle things by bribing the ever corrupt Zambian civil servants!
Government by i.d.i.o.t.s. It is very dangerous being governed by naturally dull people. The highest IQ in this government is 65. President Sata’s IQ is -150.
Why to buy a chicken of kilometers and you leave your own chicken of zero kilometer? Is their any shortage of chickens in Zambia.
Last night on ZNBC TV this guy denied any knowledge of such a permit, and yet now he admits that “…we have revoked the initial sanitary import permit,” he said. So there WAS a permit issued by his Ministry. I did not think that ZNFU and other serious minded producers would sink to the low level of some of our politicians to make noise over nothing.
Ati WTO my foot! Do u know that you can’t export your second hand cars to SA? Because Pretoria is protecting its own vast second hand car dealing business! And you want to bring academic arguments of WTO over our fluorishing chicken rearing industry.
‘And flip go the flip floppers’ I can bet my last dime this decision was made as a result of public outcry particularly from the vigilant opposition. This government is a shamble, how does a ‘middle manger’ make such decisions without approval from above. Rest assured more blunders are on the way.
Give credit were its due. This is a very good and sensible move. Put aside your hate and call a spade a spade. Zambian farmers can supply shoprite with chicken and this will be a big boost to the economy. Well done gvnt. We need to see more positive moves than mere rhetoric
ok am pf ,but am telin u. am losing confidence in this grz everyday
Presidential candidates should have a minimum of a Bachelors degree. It is a proven fact that most people without college degrees have very low critical analysis skills. You can tell how low someone thinks by the kind of planning he makes. A person who does not make strategic plans – planning beyond one year is an ignorant fool. And every persons who believes that a ten year plan can be implemented in 90 days is also an ignorant fool.
Now you realise that the minister does not know what is happening, ati as far as he knows there are no chickens being imported but you can see the imported chicken in front of you. So go back and check with shoprite and tell us 2molo.
i think this is wise. will directly benefit our agricultural sector
Like it or not the opposition MPs are working. It is sad that PF supporters you think you can eat politics. Politics say in 90 days all will be well, things do not happen like that. Once a govt has no capacity to analyse simple matters unless pressed then just know you are in trouble and PF is such a govt. Why in the first place allow importation of chickens into the country which is self sustaining. PF is making alot of costly decisions under the umbrella of Dochi Kubeba that we shall distroy the farming community. Shame on this govt
Why blame a middle management officer when the system gives him authority to deal with such issues which can have tremendous impact on the Poultry industry in Zambia.
Furthermore how can you let one officer oversee such issues regarding a Multinational like Shoprite, this just encourages corruption. I sense he is being used as sacrificial lamb!!
Zambians could empower themselves and ask for locally grown food when they go to shoprite!
Problem with Zambia – Foreign equal Superior
@ #11 NIDA: very funny. Let’s march on indeed. Here comes a one party military style state. Kwasala chabe ma vigilante na ma coupon kwati ni muli kaunda.
Kudos to the opposition, that is you job.
The problem is shop right, offcourse they will prefere SA chickens. I am sure the hundreds of chicken breeders in Zed will match the real cost shopright pays south african breeders given the chance of long term supply.
I’m not sure what the fuss is about because shoprite has had imported chicken, beef, pork, etc for a long time.
I am happy that we have stood up and for a noble cause and protected the local producer.
You have made me proud Zambia. Keep it up.