Kasama residents have cried foul over the continued hiking of commodity prices by some traders in the area.
Mathews Chanda, 29, a trainee teacher, has since appealed to government to quickly intervene in the matter before a lot of Zambians are exploited.
Mr Chanda observed that a lot of traders are now taking advantage of the depression of the Kwacha against other major currencies to inflate prices.
He warned that traders should always remember the story of the tax collector who was asked to pay people back three times.
Mr Chanda wondered why most merchandise locally produced like cooking oil and vegetables have been increased by 90 per cent and 100 per cent respectively.
A check by ZANIS within the town centre revealed that a bunch of vegetables which was selling at K1 has now gone up to K2 while a litre of cooking oil has been increased from K11 to 20.
When contacted for a comment, Kasama District Commissioner, Kelly Kashiwa, said Government is worried about the continued escalating of prices of commodities and he has since appealed to traders to be genuine in their pricing.
Mr Kashiwa also called on the CCPC to ensure the quality and standard of the commodity is in conformity with the price.
He observed that although the country has adopted liberalised economy, traders should not inflate prices anyhow.
Mind you, it’s not only in Kasama..It’s almost every town pa Zed.
It is tuntemba traders who charge abnormal prices. Given chance try to buy from established shops like shopright
Shoprite is number one culprit when it comes to upward price adjustments.
kuyabebele eh answer
Most of the commodity prices. Globally have registered a drop in prices it might be wise where local demand is genuinely. Higher to. Re evaluate those commodities and see the supply side. It must be in the short run beneficial to import matching the gains that can be achieved in the kwacha. CPI. Losses due to the rate
Globally the sweet from Zambia Sugar is performing much better and commanding prices in the usual copper super cycle prices. Its one commodity to export. And at least cushion the kwacha. in the opportunity presented
Don’t complain you voted fro them.Ati “ifintu ni Lungu”Muzafa nanjala.
But where are the salaries for October? Imwe ba PF twafwa kunsala please. Twasebana mumayanda…….Give us our salaries please for October…………….Ifintu ni Lungu. This is just October 2015 and by January?February,2016 we shall start eating each other to survive. This is too much and very unfair.
Generally Global prices in commodities have fallen with exception of some items like sugar and others looking for the market to offload the excess in supply If it’s true the cost of commodities in Zambia are exhibiting opposite due to power and other constrains affecting supplies to meet local demand
To avoid the sum gain theories ,import those that are assessed in short supply and much the gains in Kwacha rate with the CPI otherwise affecting the welfare of individuals on their incomes
To lift prices to higher than normal will require a long-term cut in supply at the same time stabilising demand over those shifts in those commodities and surely the less…
There are a multiplicity of factors that are causing prices of commodities to go up. Among them are the power deficit, high transport costs, high production costs, and so on. So before you blame the traders, first analyse what is happening in our economy. That’s why you notice that the District Commissioner was at a loss when people complained to him. He knows that the PF have messed up the economy. What we are seeing now is just a “ka dyonko”. Worse times are yet to come. Just wait and see.
You are very dull chap. What intervening? This is a free market economy.
There are no price controls. By the way don’t you realise that even a person who sales vegetables also needs to adjust the price upwards to meet the costs of paying for other commodities such as cooking oil, soap, transport, school fees etc.
Ni ma vegetables ya nyoko? Go and grow your own so that you can buy at a cheap price lazy chap.
Zambia is a market economy thus pricing is concordant with the general trends currently in the country. Blame should not be heaped on the traders but let government first deal with the flight of the Kwacha ipepukile sana! Leaders should be in the fore front educating the people on what is happening instead they are scared to bring out the truth and seek where to lay blame when its government that has failed to address the worsening economy. Proverbial blame of the messenger and not the sender (originator)!
My friend then restructure the economics behind the prices of those commodities we have in agricultural affecting If already we are costly local how do we diversify and compete in the international market where already commodity prices are exhibiting down ward prices You will agree with me that in terms of capital its not effective for mass produced like agricultural there is little incentive in high volume industries so what you are saying is really not the idea situation for competitive agricultural produce for ZAMBIA
In most cases the transportation costs are minimal and power negligible for small high volume farmers
Elo lwanya pa ZED
Yama I also follow interesting on commentaries on CHINA and its Political Growth orientations You see so much talk and dependence on China in low commodity price situations do not also help to see the potential in Zambia
Zambia has to learn to grow competitive outside the box of commodities around china and avoid being weighed in the Chinese Growth or is its Political Economy as affecting the global You will not win the follow strategies as major economies BATTLE it out on Currencies and reserves and only negatively affected always
Local economy may be parallel will be important to avoid adversely
So its not true on PRICES current in the Zambian…
You ban cooking oil import!!! Results are clear….monopoly