GOVERNMENT has formed a task force to tackle the rising food prices. The task force will come up with a national action plan and bring out interventions needed in the short, medium and long-term.
The task force will be chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha, said this at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
He said Government had taken note of the concerns expressed by various people and organisations about the state of food security in the country and how this had impacted on the prices of mealie meal and its availability.
Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services said Government was aware that a number of districts were facing food insecurity arising from a number of factors.
These factors include the general rise in food prices, effects of the failure of the global economic systems, irresponsible sale of maize in some communities and households and the floods experienced last rainy season.
Gen Shikapwasha said Government was taking appropriate interventions to prevent people in any part of the country from starving.
The government has estimated the shortfall at 100,000 metric tonnes.
“Government is currently assessing the level of food insecurity in parts of the country that experienced floods or poor rainfall and is moving maize from surplus to deficit areas,” he said.
Gen Shikapwasha said there would be need to import the shortfall to last until May next year when the nation would rely on its own produce.
He said Government would continue providing relief food to people in areas that experienced food shortages because of floods.
Gen Shikapwasha said this would be one of the main activities within the rehabilitation programme.
He said Government had so far distributed 5,714 metric tonnes of maize out of which 3,254 metric tonnes had gone to Southern Province which was the most affected by the floods.
Gen Shikapwasha said the exercise would continue throughout all affected areas.
“Government’s only concern is that some people who have maize or can afford to buy mealie meal want to be listed among relief food beneficiaries, and some wards currently benefiting from relief food are more secure than those left out,” he said.
Gen Shikapwasha said Government was reviewing the situation to see if new vulnerable people could be taken on board.
He said Government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) would continue to conduct rapid vulnerability and needs assessment.
He said the findings of the vulnerability and needs assessment would inform Government on how much various parameters had changed.
“I wish, however, to point out that there is no need for panic and people should not be misled by those trying to make political mileage out of this situation,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
He said the rising mealie meal prices should not be used as an issue to incite unrest in the country because Government was taking all necessary measures to address it.
“Moreover, it’s misleading to suggest, as the Patriotic Front has done, that President Rupiah Banda promised to reduce mealie meal prices,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
He said President Banda emphasised the need to increase food production and increased subsidy on fertiliser for beneficiaries under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) so that peasant farmers could increase production.
Gen Shikapwasha assured the people of Zambia that there was no need for the planned protects by the PF cadres.
He said information obtained yesterday from the provinces showed that the highest wholesale price for breakfast meal was K57,000 for 25 kilogrammes while roller meal was pegged at K51,000.
Gen Shikapwasha said some retailers added a mark-up of K10,000.
He was concerned that there was a big variance of retail prices between the line of rail and the rural towns.
“The difference is explained by the cost of transportation of either maize or mealie meal from surplus to deficit areas,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
He said the task force on the rising food prices was studying the matter and was expected to advise Government on how best to deal with the situation.
Gen Shikapwasha said PF president Michael Sata was supposed to seek dialogue with Government or look at the interventions in place.
He said the fertiliser issue had also been taken out of context because neither President Banda nor Government promised to reduce the price of fertiliser across the board.
Gen Shikapwasha said the subsidised fertiliser was not for the open market but for targeted people belonging to cooperatives and benefiting from the FSP.
On the recent job losses on the mines, Gen Shikapwasha said Government would ensure that it negotiated with the mining companies to find ways of mitigating the situation.
On the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, Gen Shikapwasha said Government was concerned about the situation.
He said Zambian officials would only intervene in the matter when their Zimbabwean counterparts invite them.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
nine wani
What for ba ronnie? There is FRA, what for??
Total waste of money. What are the ministries concerned doing?
Is it not real that the food prices in Zambia are rising at alarming rates? This is against assurances from former Finance Minister Magande saying that Zambia was well cushioned and will not be affected. Why does the government feel the need to have to set up a task force? So that they can earn allowances even as they meet to decide whether the food prices are really rising or not and if government can intervene?
Its a good step however pipo are paid for planning and forseeing such calamities. someone was supposed to advise earlier than this. why does it has to take pipo demostrate to activate your thinking. Poor planning who exit you from the offices in 2011
What is the FNDP for? What is required is to implement the many existing action plans & plicy papers gathering dust & not coming up with more committees/task forces to come up with yet another plan which shall not be implemented
Another task force to milk our poor country of resources through sitting allowances. We can not be forming task forces every time we have a problem when we already have existing structures to deal with those problems.
Indeed u chaps have run out ideas. Food task force lol… please save us from these insults.
its not neccessary Gen ronnie to form the task force! Those charps wont perform ,just give task to FRA,on job loses and cholera outbreaks in zim,plase adress the issue without delay..”akabangilile,takanwine yankundwa”
Task Force on everything. Why have ministers who cant perform and have to rely on Task Forces. Agriculture has two ministers, two deputy ministers and two Permanent Scretaries plus directors may be up to 10. isnt that a Task Force enough? Pipo should not just accept jobs and not the responsibilty that goes with it.
be serious bane. just because somebody will get an allowance, everything you want a task fprce. i dont know wats next. these are the same pipo that have awarded themselves heft salaries.
this country has gone to the … or is it that the … have come to this country
#3 i agree what r we paying them for.There r already pipo whose job description involves doing what the Task Force has been mandated to do.If these pipo ve failed fire them.At one time the late LPM est 20 or so task forces totally unnecesary does anyone know if these task forces r still there?
There you go Zambians again,food task force for what? to waste more money in paying those guys who will carry out the task. Come on guys where is the ministry of Agriculture. Tell me this is a joke, ministry of agriculture can do that task. Anyway as you say this is peaceful zambia so anyone can do anything anytime,kairi its a free and peaceful country.
I do not understand what the FOOD TASK FORCE is supposed to do. The solution to this whole thing is simple, since govt has so much money that they can form a FOOD TASK FORCE, they might aswell import maize and subsidize the local maize this farming season.
I don’t see how the FOOD TASK FORCE will solve our food problem. Can someone brief me on the advantages of having a FOOD TASK FORCE??
Ala ichimona kwati chakutinisha abaiche.
its all drama,so pipo interested, lets meet and form our TASK FORCE to monitor all the TASK FORCES, am the chairman,2morrow 10hrs. Please OBSERVE TIME…….
I just cant sleep at night knowing my brothers in Zimbabwe are dying of Cholera. Please Zambia, do something.
People are dying in Zimbabwe. Zambia has got a lot of fresh water, for once give aid and start exporting fresh clean water to Zimbabwe for a small price.
People in Zimbabwe are suffering and Zambia shouldn’t think it will never happen to them. We need to help them. They are desperate and they need our help. South Africa is not helping nor is Botswana. Only we can help them. Please govt, help them but at the same time don’t forget about our problems.
But this ci government likes task forces for what? Why do we have DMU, Ministry of Finance etc? All they want are allowances (DSA). Because even when it comes to budget preparations did you know that people who (GRZ Staff) live in Lusaka sleep in lodges within Lusaka (less than 15 KM from their homes) to prepare the budget? The guys are wastefull I tell you. We will never develop.
I think we need a revolution in Zambia. Too many unnecessary and nonfunctional elements sitting in the driving seat of our land. Task force this, task force that and yet, as #7 has pointed out, structures to deal with these problems do exist. Why is our govt so proud of duplicating tasks and yet they are on record for not finding solutions in their past task force or someone-something commission undertakings? I can guarantee that no recommendation will be any more special or different from what is already known as the solution to this problem. It is just another money-making adventure to suck out of people even the little that is meant for them.
JUST TO SAY REDUCE MEALIE MEAL CHAKOSA AND IF ONE KILLS A SON OVER NSHIMA YOU SAY THEY ARE HEARTLESS.BUT WHO IS IN A GOOD POSITION TO STOP ALL THIS KANSHI?
I hope you ( I mean the man in the picture above)are not involved in this one. What happened with the bullet proof jackets saga (contract) for the police when you were at the home affairs ministry?
A young couple on the brink of divorce visit a marriage counsellor. The counsellor asks the wife what is the problem.
She responds ” My husband suffers from premature ejaculation.”
The counsellor turns to her husband and inquires “Is that true?”
The husband replies “Well not exactly, it’s her that suffers not me.”
#4,#6,#7,#8, You Zombies have been agitating for the government to do something about the circumstances occassioned by the global financial crisis the maize deficit and the high prices of mealie meal.
This is a situation which calls for an inter ministerial consultation to get all affected ministries and competencies on board, such as Agriculture, Commerce, Finance, DMU etc… They wont get sitting allwances although your anxiety is well placed on this.
Government has put in place a mechanism to decide on intervention but you don’t want it. What do you want????
Hi, everyone and how is LT today?
Where has the task force on corruption taken us? Enriching Mutembo and the guys at Woodlands offices. So even this one is a waste of resources when we already have existing structures. 44 years after independepence you mean there is no unit that should look into these problems. Shame!!!!
Peaceful Zambia, there you go jokes after jokes, circuses after circuses. When are you going to work up from your sleep people?
#24, I sense your ignorance. This is the way all governments operate when there is a situation that requires interministerial/multi-sectoral intervention. You can blame govt for not anticipating the situation but this is the best they can do to forecast what other interventions will be needed.
But the purpose of this blog is criticism and in that aspect you are doing a good job.
Toxic i concur with u!
A job for Ministry for Agriculture and FRA only.
Now this is the way Zed money is wasted by the Presido.
Viva H H man with principles in saving Zed resources only.
#24 Where were you expecting the Task Fprce on corruption to take you.
The task force of Nshima is not an institution. It will be only be an ad hoc committee that is all.
The task force on corruption was intended to instil respect for public resources. We don,t run kangaroo courts in Zambia. That is the beauty of our system. Every one is entitled to their day in court.
Iwe Shikapwasha, food task force for what? You have enough people who can put their heads together,and plan for the country.in the agriculture sector.But the problem is that you ministers interfere in the duties of these experts,and export maize to Zimbabwe.Then having created the problem yourselves,today you wake up and say food task force.You need to reduce that bloated cabinet not coming up with a useless task force.why do you want to be spending money like that?shikapwasha if you nothing to say,you better keep quiet!
Another money consuming Task force worth our already Distended governement…now a task force…how much are we spending on establishing on this rather “well thought through” inetiative?Is it going to yield results…Shikapwasha talk is cheap ka?
Too many big words and seemingly good intetiatives and yet no results…
HH twalimukana ifwe bene, the man has farms he understands not only food production but ranching and here we are forming task forces, I thought RB was manager at Namboard, so what did he do there that he has failed to do with FRA why a task force has to be formed?
No priorities.Another money spending task force.There is no logical thinking in those heads!
#30 Bashi Chewe, those enough people to put heads together are in different ministries. eg
Food stocks and Forecasts – Agriculture
Foreign Exchange – Min of Finance and BOZ
Importation Procedures & private sector – Ministry of Commerce
GMO Agriculture and Science laboratories at Min of Science…
A government can not just rant like Bashi Chilufya. They have to think through every thing they do. But I guess you don’t know this.
Next should be poverty and suffering task force.
I also forgot peace and sleepy task force
Lack of proper planning and focused leaders is what is killing this nation slowly. We are now faced with hunger when we had a bumper harvest previous sesson, what is happening? Please help us by bringing (importing) enough food instead of forming Task Forces who will draw money into their pockets for nothing.
I hope the task force is ready to explain high levels of poverty, which is now at 8.5% FYI….
taskforce for what when we all know the problems.just creating oppotunities fo some pipo to get allowances.we have had a million taskforces besides the commision of inquiries including the one that followed the 1997 UNZA closure,upto date the recommendations have never been effected by GRZ yet bellions of kwacha are spent in these unconstitutional bodies.abash wasting of time by such delays,just act if yu can as GRZ.
Rashid just a reminder you forgot Loadsheding Task Force..!
I ‘n I tink dat if dem ministry of agriculture can not deal with dis, den de disaster management under de office of de VP should com in, no need for anada Task f#ckun force. Like dem ada bloggers keep sayin, dere iz nuf structures. Wake up from slumber Mr. Sluggart
Rashid Jones,you should just shut up,dont talk about our issues. Your language against Zambia is disgusting. Leave us Zambians alone. Comment on your own what that country is.I never knew that you are Such a creature who dont respect Zambians. We chinangwa,you have no heart.
Last time I was shocked to read something like: We are ready to tackle colera??? Nonsense, you should not be ready to tackle that thing. GRZ should put preventive measures. Colera is a sighn of broken down health system. So you reapir the system and not prepare for the desease. Do you GRZ people have heart for our country or you just happen by chance to be associated with people who can steal while looking in the eyes of the people suffering. We have no problem having you there, but your duty should be to mobilize people with capabilities and accept what people want.
ba Nkole, is that how I have raised you. If we want to form a task force just to have views of different ministries, then what are cabinet meetings for,
besides we dont need these meetings every day, so why dont affected ministries just visit each other, when it is necessary.
Iwe waonekela Nkole, ati u are from the ruling class. But i try to tell u guys every day enjoy quietly..pipo out there are suffering, dont annoy them, by issuing careless statements and remarks.
This country needs a touch from God the Almighty.Just what is wrong ith Africans?The issue at hand is the price of mealie meal!By now we should have known what to do.MMD has been in power for 17yrs and they dont know what to with the Kafue fertiliser plant.This task force is utter nonsense!ONLY SHORT SIGHTED PEOPLE WILL KEEP VOTING FOR THEM.ITS VERY SAD THAT FOREIGNERS ARE COMING TO OUR LAND MAKING MONEY AND LEAVING US VERY POOR AND YET WE CANT EVEN GROW A BASIC PLANT LIKE MAIZE.DONT EVN TALK ABOUT THE CREDIT CRUNCH:YOU HAVE FAILED US MMD.YOU FOUND MEALIE MEAL AT LESS THAN K5000 BUT NOW ITS MORETHAN K50,000.SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!
Suely, why should it take so long to have a constitution that only requires common sense. Most of the things that the crooks discuss about the constitution is common sense. Yet GRZ delays the thing and it costs that poor country money. The constitution of South Africa was done in four months ….
Our will never be done?????
#38 this is self inflicted, the same people who do not have the means in rural areas are the ones that are rumoured to have voted in Rupiah and his Government, they really believed when he was telling them about free fertiliser, what a pity!
#45 ,It appears from your flag that you are in the UK.
Please don’t make it appear like Zambia is another failed state like Somalia so that you can justify your asylum application.
If they don’t grant you asylum just come back home , become president and develop the country in 90 days like your hero says.
#48, I see that you don’t know that the fertiliser for the Cooperative societies under the FSP is actually K50pin. The fact that you don’t know this tells me that you are not a farmer (just like bashi Chilufya). Well I am a farmer and I know.
This mealie meal thing has nothing to do with the world financial crisis. Ubwali or Inship is no where in that equation. It is a Zambian thing. OK, why has not affected Malawi or jus these are countries that depend on pulp. The thing is, some how maize or mealie meal has been exported leaving little with so much demand and this has pushed the price up??????. It is that simple. If you had plenty of it, there is no way the price was going to go up…
Task force or no task force, people are starving. What we need are good policies on food security. One year we talk of bamper harvest, the following year people are starving. what an irony, zambia’s population is only 10-12 million for God’s sake. Someone is not doing his job right somewhere somehow.
“Minstrial sex scandals task force” how about that
It is ineteresting when USA and other government are talking about bailing out GM clysler and cutting ineterest rates, we are bussy discussing Ubwali?? And you think we are going to compete with those guys. Forget it???
Awe sure!!! Insala, naka lepuka, chalo conse!!!
I am lost, let me rearrange my thoughts before I comment.
#49 fertiliser can be 1 pin if you like, but as long as it is not there, if i still have to buy fertiliser for my grandmother in chikankata at 250,000 because the cooperatives have no fertiliser for 50 pin, then that declaration is useless, my father in law from Mporokoso called me to tell me to intervene because that fertiliser is not there, go ahead internet farmer and tell us where this fertiliser is stocked? For you information, I have been in farmer since the 80’s have you ever heard of SPCMU? or SPADP?
#51, thank you. You are right except to the extent that fertilizers are part of the Hydro-carbon/ Petro-chemical industries. The prices escalated last year and had an impact on world wide fertilizer prices and the tonnage of fertilizer that could be set for the FSP.
It will take sometime for the new prices of petroleum to work through the petro-chemical industries but I hope we will have cheaper fertiliser next year.
As for Malawi, let me just look up the figures.
Guys what is happening to Zimbabwe is sad and worrying. All the sectors are in a mess,the inflation rates the highest in the world.Zimbabweans are scattered in the neighbouring countries,the number of people who have died from cholera this year,is the highest in the history of Zimbabwe.Now those of you who have been saying that Sata lacks education,i want you to get it into those heads of yours,that it is not education only that can make a president run the country effectively.But one should also posses leadership qualities,in order for him to serve the people better. Look at Mugabe, in case some of you dont know,Mugabe is one of the most educated presidents in Africa.He is higly educated no 1 on this blog,but look at where Zimbabwe is today.it is really sad!
RASHID JONES.Thanks bro,let me not crucify you again on this issue,you know very well why you cannot apologise,and I think you have some reasons why you said that Zambians are sleepy and Ignorant.But don’t you think that not all Zambians are like that?Anyway Bro sorry to bother you.Stay blessed
y’llo spectator
Who will fund the task force
I ‘n I have said this before, lets just legalise the ganja and get high all day, an make me chairperson of the ganja tsk force. Viva ganja, (by the way, is it a qualification for a minister or president to have a big mphuno, it seems mphunos are in fashion)
Ronnie and his buddies,very good at creating jobs for the cadres
#57, Thank you Sir, at least I am talking to a farmer, who knows how complicated the politics of food crops are. The farmers want high prices for the maize so that they have good ROE. But consumers in towns want cheap mealie meal. Problem: How to reconcile these two interest groups.
Consumers usually win because they have LT supporters and farmers react by switching to other crops like tobacco, soya, potatoes. REsult crisis. For the FSP fertiliser you apply and pay in advance. I suppose you in-laws did not do this. Any way I also think thae FSP should be bigger, but that requires a lot of money.
No 1 on this blog can match Mugabe,s education but look at Zimbabwe today.
Yes Jah man it is a qualification to have a big mphuno to be Minister or Govt. Anyway, fwaka ya chi Ngoni should be legalised. So that bemba’s can be wiped out, they are crooks. Viva an’gono mphuno
Let us pray to God through our saviour Jesus Christ. We will pull through as a nation.
Chewe is cunfused no wonder he supports chelsea. read all my comments, i havent written anything against any zambians. i forgot, you are still sleepy and day dreamind, sorry wake up and face reality man.
Shikapwasha,ifi fyena fyakuifwaila.
#63, there will be no politicians and cadres on the Task Force. It will be made of Civil Service mandarins and people from BOZ, ZRA (for urgent clearance at border 100,000 tonnes is 2000 railway wagons)
No body will be paid, they will do it as part of their job, may be with lunch allowance.
Rashid behave yourself.Because when am stepped on my toes like that,if happen to react you wont like me.1 word wil be enough for you.
LT awards cont..
Most contraversial blogger- Free Market capitalist, most dissapointig blogger Gazebo and Family9Where is he?),learned blogger-Matworld-Nice guy.
I said I’d never writeagain but there is a global economic crisis. Food Task Force might help. The UK govt(only example I have snce I’m here)has even cut VAT rates to curb the recession to make people spend. Obviously Zed isn’t in the same situation but at least people are trying to do something. The blame game won’t help. Let’s be constructive and put forward suggestions rather than the constant negation, doom and gloom. Some of you going by the little flags by your “names” myself included are abroad and are better off than those suffering at home, don’t add insult to injury by just complaining. It is all our responsibility to come up with suggestions. Govt alone won’t develop Zambia!
U can only form a task force if something is not straight forward and visible,like plundered resources.Food shortage is visible and experts know the what went wrong and what a solution is!unless u want to creat jobs for yo bululuz.
Task Force for what? Opening our pots and see the hunger in there. We have the ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives. The people there what do they do? Don’t they have a food security wing under there? These are but bastards with no idea of what they ought to do but just out to make money. How much are they going to be paid apart from the money they already collect. Zambians open up your eyes!!!!. This is stealing from the national coffers. How much will this task force chew from our treasury. Is this how to run government? Soon all the government will be sitting on task foces, is that how we are suppose to be doing things. What are people in government paid for? To form task forces?
Honestly, this is the total rubbish. Soon it will be a task force on cholera. Haven’t you wasted enough of tax payer’s money.Comeon guys you should not run a country like a kitchen.Where is the president in this country? There is definetly something wrong in government.RB kindly resign.
Anotha task Force,made to make more sitting allowances,This same task force to be formed will spend Half of the amount equivalent to what is intended to the affected areas,so as per usual,we will always be going in circles,trying to tackle this and that,If you pipo think that if u criticize on your arm chairs,hoping this Sleeping Govt will hear yo call,don’t even say a word on yo arm chair,lets take 2 the streets if were 2 be heard,BATU DELELA SANA,They can afford 2 say this and that on a Full Stomach,this Govt gave us wrong figures on the Stock levels of maize in the country,what is the guarantee now that these new figures are right.My Honest feeling is we have literally no Buffer stocks
#72 Please tell #74 that this is an ad hoc committee and there will be no jobs for bululuz, may be they will listen to you.
The Task Force will consist of experts only from different ministries to design and implement a response to the food situation and to all matters incidental to the crisis.
When the crisis has been overcome, they will disband the ad hoc committee. This has nothing to do with the Max Nkole Task Force.
#76, I voted for RB and I don,t want him to resign. I propose that you resign from life since you can’t bear seeing RB in State House for the nexy eight years.
If you see a snake, just kill it – don’t appoint a committee on snakes. GRZ if there is a food crisis in Zambia, just sort it out through existing institutions -don’t appoint a committee on Kudia to even grad the little Kwacha that can save one Zambian Soul into the pockets of the Member of the Committee. This Food Task Force will just come up with recommendations that will go to gather dust in one Government Ministry because the Officials are functionally illiterate. Year in Year out they have been unable to learn from a simple animal like a Mole (infunko) on the storage of food.
zoona twachula.one does not have an option but to believe that these pipo are made.jst after increasing their salaries they are toking abt task forces.since wen did the mmd govt accept the recommendations of any task force that it constituted.thse is a waste of resources.y not use the already existing ministries.
#79 You should be very objective over issues.You seem to be a narrow minded person. I don’t see any leadership in the current food crisis in the country. That’s why they now want to form task forces. It’s not about RB as a person it’s about facts of true leadership in such times.
Ronnie, exactly what is the FRA for? Zambia is struggling as we speak, please think before you speak/spend. No need for a new task force. We cannot have billions of people employed to solve one problem. If the guys employed to do just that are not delivering then do what needs to be done about them.
is it poly tricks or poly ticks? looks like poly s#%t to me.
iwe chi Rashid Jones u have started againg but in a way i agree with u this task force is just a share waste of our hard earned income.but stop insulting our inteligence we will sort this guys out just wait and see”
Which way forward ba Zambia?
Another way of mis using taxe payers money.Twafwa our money is being used on Ma rabbish again.Who are they going to take to court is it MAIZE Or SOIL OR Fertilizer.
iwe chi shikapwasha tefyo ifyo!
u’re have no ideas to govern this country.can you just resign fimambala if u don’t how 2 run the govt.minister of agriculture,deputy minister , permanent secretaries and other agricu lture bodies what are they doing?
be serious!!we don’t want corruption again!!!
Food Task Force, my foot. I give up on SHREK’S government!
This is what make people mad. We have existing structures and govt institutions capable of undertaking such eventualities. What task force. That wat old and unskilled leaders can do. it’s all about stealing money!
R.B during one interview on BBC claimed to have some smart ways of handling economic problems! I quess forming task forces is one of them. Soon there will a task for on Michael Sata and the Post! Welcome to zambia , land of jokers!
PLEASE FYANSHI IFYO KANSHI PA ZED FULL OF RABISH
Govt doenst learn, conut how much we have spent hunting ka Chungu who effless reappears on his own.
What sort of leaders does R.B lead, leaders who seem to be behind people they are leading.Look at food situation, it had to take PF to make them realise their is a food crisis.
Leadership means being in front leading,having first hand information before anyone lays his hands on it.R.B seem to be leading from behind.Now what is that, leading from behind, dont you think people can get lost.That is the R.B style of leadership.
Leading from behind is the worst leadershiop,its leadership of the cowards.
Zambian or rather African economics is shocking if at all is economics.Thje west have cut interest rates, here its skyrocketing, oil prices slump, but here they rise.
The opposite african economics is the worst in centuries.African economists are the worst,they are a dissappointment.
Can someone define what this opposite economics is all about.
Task force ka! bayamba ugwila vakudya manje.
Another loop hole has come. I know them. there want to increase loopholes so that they can steal more in the name of task force.
wooooo Tikuzibani
Opposite Economic:why should it take people to tell FRA to offload its stocks, that is unacceptable
Taskforce ndiye modyela ndalama.Bangena ku food manje, after exhausting za ka chungu
Dream on Mr.Nose!!!
I’m not coming back to zed!
Most frequent blogger is Anonymous though he is like a chamelion,he is not stable on his topics
I thought that the government was a task force itself – konaula fye indalama!
Those who drink, we can meet at Holy wood City. Take care of yourselves and drink responsibly like i do and GOD bless you more especially Baby c, Anonymous, Maestro, V.concerpt,Sarah, Sarah jones, Chewe,Spectator,Lol,free market and the worm. i sign off
task force without a strategy!! waste of resources!!
sheer waste of tax payer’s money! Are u guys so short of ideas to come up with unproductive task forces?
Zambians need well paying jobs and a government with better ideas. We have a situation whereby one village has plenty of food while in a neighbouring village people are dying of poverty.
How about proper distribution of food by the people already employed/holding well paying government posts? or is it not in their job description?.
Ronnie, lack of ideas is common place in MMD.
SUGGESTION: The late presido noticed this bad old MMD problem and he simply used Mr SATA’s ideas, infact he consulted PF leader several times on a number of issues and he died a very popular leader. Now, Mr SATA is available for better ideas while you chaps are busy eating and sleeping in office, swallow your pride and ask Mr SATA for better ideas and drop your flumpy waste of Zambians hard earned cash on rubbish Food Task Forces. Wake up you lot and start thinking, you are an embarrasment!
64. NKOLE WA MAPEMBWE,
” The farmers want high prices for the maize so that they have good ROE. But consumers in towns want cheap mealie meal. Problem: How to reconcile these two interest groups. ”
Maize in Zambia is about $200 per tonne – by comparison in South Africa it is $140 per tonne. If farmers want to make more money growing staples, they should grow more of it, not hope for higher prices.
So I say, let’s help subsistence farmers become medium scale commercial farmers. It would do a lot of great things for the food supply, development and not least, their own income. At $200 per tonne and at 2 tonnes per hectare, a 50 ha piece of land can generate $20,000 per harvest.
#14 you cracked me up!!!!!
106-You are the solomon of this world keep up with that wisdom, bauze your thinking is owe some-nobody mentioned our Sata, respect.
Task Force heeeeeeee wonder sha neva end in Zambia oponi your eyes well well kirode
#106 aa. Zambia needs chaps like you with a good memory. You are spot-on. Levy even mentioned, b4, he died the it was only SATA, amongst the opposition leaders who kept him running. And finally he had to start adopting SATA and PF’s ideas because they were workable. That’s how he came to die a popular man. One cannot ignore SATA’s policies. He may not have the academic degrees, but the man is extremely intellegent. Unlike those sleeping hippos, SATA really impressed me how he ran his campaign tirelessly. While RB was sleeping all over the place. Surprisingly, tha chap has even continued sleeping. Well done “The Post” for ever aletting us on his sleeping habbits.
Our ineficient government continue to forming ilegal committees and boards reflecting poor operation of the government wings
A silent ‘revolution’ executed through the people power is playing out in the country.It is coming out by pressuring leaders to make decisions and take the road they would not have chosen, like sharing of power and supporting the recommendations of Justice Philip Waki on post-election violence. It is also discernible from the forced price cuts for essentials such as unga and petrol, as witnessed this week. It casts the picture of a Kenyan voter — caught in the circumstance where there is no official opposition and rising cynicism on politicians — rising up to be heard.Kenyans pressurised Members of Parliament to eat from the sweat of their brow through paying tax on their fat monthly
contd,Kenyans pressurised Members of Parliament to eat from the sweat of their brow through paying tax on their fat monthly fat monthly cheques. Despite their defiant silence and Speaker Kenneth Marende’s declaration that only those ‘sufficiently philanthropic’ can do so, the legal process for taxing them is on the table. The voter simply warned those who resist would meet their political Waterloo in 2012’s elections.When Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Agriculture Minister William Ruto visited Kibera last week for a symbolic PM’s ‘homecoming’, they were confronted with chants for the reduction of maize meal. The Cabinet took action and prices came down almost by half.
contd, When power tariffs soared to the skies over a year’s period, again the average Kenyan’s loud remonstrations seared the ears of the leaders and the President ordered a reduction, through slashing energy tax. This week, pump stations’ fuel prices fell by about Sh15 a litre, first because of shrinking global prices, but more because of public pressure on The Government to return price controls on the commodity if the dealers held on. Previously, prices hardly fell by the same margin as in the international market. Dealers always retained the old prices, arguing they were clearing the old stock secured at a higher cost.
contd, “We are going to see more of this as Kenyans exercise their powers. In the next level they will consolidate these powers. They are no longer going to be taken for granted,’’ argued Wainaina.
Former Kabete MP Paul Muite said ‘real’ change could only come when the citizen is part of the process. He said what is happening in the country is ‘commendable’ and healthy because Kenyans are now demanding their rights.”Change will never come from a few people. Kenyans have realised that successive governments have been of the rich, for the rich and by the rich,’’ Muite said.
Contd, The former lawmaker said the beauty of the ‘revolution’ taking place in the country is that it involves all Kenyans and there is no issue of tribalism. He said everybody is being hurt by the high prices irrespective of tribe.Muite believes that once the citizens have a proper taste of their power, they will continue to demand more and more, especially good governance. source eastandard dot net
Will these pipo in the first place reduce the mealie-meal prices ba shikapwasha plz? I wonder what these pipo will targeting at because hunger problem has now entered in all the veins and arteries of our country,I think something beyond the task force needs to be done with erups effect please sir.If you are completely failing to meet your pipo’s needs,go and ask our four Father Dr kenneth Kaunda what logic he was using coz we never had such crisis in our mother country Zambia like this,with this new deal government, please fetch for wisdom from Dr kaunda please maybe we can advance atleast one step ahead kaka yawe.Kaunnda’s formula can find an answer for this taff question.
Ba Ronnie. Do we have to form task forces even when one fails to have an erection?