‘Restrictions on importation of poultry products will inhibit economic growth'
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Tue 03 Apr. 2012, 12:57 CAT
ZACA says restrictions in the importation of poultry products from South Africa will inhibit the growth of the economy and market competition. But the Poultry Association of Zambia has said the country is not facing any deficit in poultry products to warrant imports.
In an interview yesterday, Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga said the association fully supports the importation of poultry products from South Africa as it was good for consumer choice and market competition.
Ililonga said the recent attacks on the decision by Shoprite and Game Stores to import chickens from South Africa were unjustified and not good for the market.
He said the Minister of Agriculture Emmanuel Chenda should not promote local curtails that could breed uncompetitiveness in poultry products at the expense of consumer welfare.
Ililonga said import competition was good for consumer welfare and there was no need to block Zambians from accessing affordable sources of protein simply because some individuals had complained that they would be out of the market.
He said his association was saddened that the government was not addressing the main problem of Zambia being uncompetitive.
"South Africa itself is facing import competition with chickens from Brazil but they have not blocked importation of chickens. Brazil is producing chickens at a cheaper price than South Africa and the poultry association in South Africa has complained to their trade commission not merely to arm-twist government like the way the Poultry Association of Zambia and the Farmers Union are doing," Ililonga said.
He said as long as the government restricts competition and allows inefficiency; the jobs in the poultry sector would remain at less than 400 jobs.
Ililonga said opening up the poultry market for importation and competition would compel local producers to be innovative, lessen their production costs and give value to the consumers.
He said in addressing the challenges facing the poultry industry, the government must investigate why the cost of stock feed in Zambia remained very high despite consecutive bumper harvests.
"The main ingredient in stock feed is maize and the complaint of farmers in poultry is the cost of stock feed. In countries where competition commissions are robust, they have investigated curtails in the stock feed industry and they have dealt with them but here these curtails of continued to pass costs to farmers and consumers are now bearing all these costs," Ililonga said.
But Poultry Association of Zambia executive manager Mathews Ngosa says the South African poultry industry is collapsing owing to imports from Brazil.
Labels: POULTRY, SHOPRITE, ZACA
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Consumers need protection from contaminated food - ZACA
By Edwin Mbulo
Thu 14 July 2011, 09:40 CAT
WE need robust, well resourced institutions which should be able to protect consumers against contaminated food, says a consumer advocate.
Commenting on the just-ended world food standard body, the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting which resolved that governments are free to decide on whether and how to label foods derived from modern biotechnology, including foods containing genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga said food issues need high standards.
“It’s one thing to develop standards and another to adhere to them. We need well-resourced institutions such as the Zambia Bureau of Standards. They need to be well equipped in human resource and finance to be able to function. We need robust institutions which should be able to protect consumers against contaminated food,” Ililonga said.
He said standards institutions in Zambia and other African countries faced a big problem when it came to resources despite being backed by good legislation.
Ililonga said ZACA has advocated mandatory labelling of food packages to show whether a product was genetically modified so as to give a choice to consumers.
“We support the position taken by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to safeguard consumers from bio-technology whose outcome may harm the health of the consumer,” he said.
Ililonga said there was a lot of concern on GMOs and certain additives which need to be addressed by the Zambian government.
According a press statement made available by Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, the World Health Organisation communications officer, a decision which will help inform consumers make choices regarding genetically-modified foodstuffs was taken at the 34th session of the Codex Commission held in Geneva from July 4 to July 9, with 184 member countries, the UN, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations in attendance.
“The meeting of world food standard body, Codex Alimentarius Commission World food standard body, the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission has stated that governments are free to decide on whether and how to label foods derived from modern biotechnology, including foods containing genetically-modified organisms,” stated Bhatiasevi. “The labelling should be done in conformity with the text approved by the Codex Commission, to avoid potential trade barrier.”
Labels: CONSUMERS, GMOS, ZACA
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COMMENT - Perhaps it is also time to get off maize and into cassava and sorghum.
ZACA questions govt’s move to export maize
By Fridah Zinyama
Mon 09 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
ZAMBIA Consumer Association (ZACA) executive director Muyunda Ililonga has questioned the government’s decision to export 100,000 metric tonnes of maize to Kenya when it has not yet established reliable strategic food reserve.
But the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has said the government consulted widely before allowing the 100,000 metric tonnes of Maize to Kenya.
Meanwhile, Zambia Commodity Exchange (ZAMACE) executive director Brian Tembo said no more maize exports would be allowed once the 100,000 metric tonnes that stakeholders agreed upon is met.
Zambia, in the 2008/09 farming season produced about 1.9 million metric tonnes of maize, whilst its consumption is about 1.6 million metric tonnes of maize annually.
Stakeholders have expressed concern over the government’s decision to allow maize exports because there are fears that if the 2009/10 farming season does not go well, the country would be required to spend huge sums of money to import maize to meet local demand.
In an interview, Ililonga advised the government to learn from past mistakes as it was earlier this year when the country had to import maize to meet its local demand.
“Previously, we exported maize to Zimbabwe, only to start importing when we had a shortfall on the local market,” he said. “The Zambian consumer was made to pay heavily for this mistake and we would not like a repeat of the same next year.”
Ililonga said much as government had other obligations to help its neighbours, its first priority was its own people.
“We do not want to end up with another deficit with which the Zambian people will be made to pay heavily again,” he said.
And ZNFU executive Ndambo Ndambo said the government had met with stakeholders in the maize sector to consider what decision to make on the surplus maize in the country.
“As farmers, we had been asking the Food Reserve Agency to increase the floor price so that farmers could get a good return on their product as prices had crashed due to excess maize supply on the local market,” he said.
Ndambo explained that stakeholders in the Stock Monitoring Committee met and looked at local consumption which is now standing at about 1.6 metric tonnes and realised that there was a surplus of 300,000 metric tonnes.
“Once this was done, everybody agreed that the country could afford to export 100,000 metric tonnes of maize,” he said. “This was done to help farmers get a favourable price for their produce which had really crashed due to maize surplus on the market.”
Ndambo said traders were using the surplus to get very low prices from the farmers and this prompted the Food Reserve Agency to also get onto the market to help push up prices for farmers.
“As you well know, prices are determined by the law of demand and supply. If there is more supply on the market, prices are automatically pushed down and the farmers lose out,” he explained.
Ndambo said farmers were also allowed to export maize but could not take advantage of the allowance in maize exports as it is very costly to export maize from Zambia.
“Transport costs incurred are very high, hence anyone else who could afford to export was allowed to do so,” he said.
Ndambo said Zambia was a small market which could not manage to absorb any excess maize at a good price for the producer.
“If the agriculture sector is to grow, farmers should be allowed to export any excess product so that they can get good prices for their products and produce more,” he said.
And Tembo said no more maize exports would be allowed once the 100,000 metric tonnes are met, unless the government announces anything to that effect.
The Stock Monitoring Committee consists of different stakeholders like farmers, millers, traders and the Ministry of Agriculture, who met to decide what, should be done with the surplus maize on the market.
“Anyone right now can get a permit to export maize,” he said. “But exports have been slow due to the unique conditions in Zambia.”
Tembo said transportation costs are very high in Zambia, as it costs the same to transport maize from Mkushi to Lusaka and from South Africa to Congo.
“Our transport sector is not well developed and the costs of production are high for farmers hence making Zambian products uncompetitive in the region,” he said.
Tembo further said the Ministry of Agriculture was having a more holistic approach to the whole maize issue.
“All the stakeholders met and decided on the maize export issue,” said Tembo. “The stakeholders are providing government with adequate information, hence helping government in its planning and implementation process.”
Labels: EXPORTS, KENYA, MAIZE, ZACA
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Chief accuses Zambia Sugar managers of being pompous
By Justine Kawisha in Mazabuka and Fridah Zinyama in Lusaka
Wednesday June 11, 2008 [04:00]
CHIEF Mwanachingwala of the Tonga people of Mazabuka district has accused Zambia Sugar Plc management of being pompous in their dealings with government leaders. And ZAMBIA Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga said the government is not doing enough to resolve the sugar situation in the country as it had not allowed other players to import the commodity.
Reacting to finance minister Ng'andu Magande's complaints on Radio Mazabuka yesterday during Face the media programme, over Zambia Sugar management's failure to welcome him and attend the fundraising dinner for Mazabuka Radio station, chief Mwanachingwala said it was an insult for Zambia Sugar management to ignore Magande's presence in the Zambia Sugar estate where the function was being held.
"Zambia sugar is pompous because 90 per cent of the company shares are owned by the Illovo group who are foreigners,” he said.
Chief Mwanachingwala said he was very disappointed with Zambia Sugar management for shunning the function, which was officiated by the country's senior minister.
He disclosed that Zambia Sugar even refused to offer Magande accommodation giving an excuse that the rooms were fully booked at the time the minister went to request for accommodation.
"No one forced the company to donate to the radio station and it is better to welcome the minister and attend the function even when they cannot pledge anything," he said. "How would you feel if you went to someone's home and that person runs away from you? It's an insult suggesting that you are nothing to him."
Chief Mwanachingwala said he always quarrelled with Zambia Sugar management over their disrespect for government officials and workers. He said he was, however, happy that Zambia Sugar's behaviour against Magande had vindicated him because Zambians could now tell who was bad between him and the company management.
"Even the employees themselves have no freedom, what kind of a company is Zambia sugar which has no regard for senior government officials?" chief Mwanachingwala asked
He blamed members of parliament for failing to come up with laws which could supervise the operations of foreign investors, to avert a situation where the foreign investors insulted the people of Zambia.
Zambia sugar corporate affairs manager Lovemore Sievu who could neither respond to the minister nor chief's complaints, just cut the phone line after asking the reporter to hold on for a long time.
Magande said he was not happy with Zambia Sugar's absence at the function and that he was going to request the company management to explain why they never attended the dinner dance which was hosted in their estate on Saturday night.
Speaking during a stakeholders' meting at Lusaka's Chrismar Hotel yesterday, Ililonga said the government seemed to have continued protecting Zambia Sugar when it had failed to off load enough sugar on the market.
"We have in the past expressed concern about the unfairness of trade especially in the sugar sector but government has not paid attention to our cries," he said. "We therefore need to join forces as civil society and project our voice on this issue."
Ililonga said civil societies, therefore needed to come up with a strategy to push government to take action especially concerning the sugar shortage in the country.
"High sugar prices are leading to an increase in poverty levels amongst many Zambians and we feel that the domestic market should not be subsidising the export market," he said. "We are wondering whether government really has the interest of its people at heart because they seem not to be doing any thing serious about the shortage," he said.
ZACA programme manager Micheal Musenge said the government should institute an investigation as to why Zambia Sugar had continued exporting the commodity when they had failed to meet the local demand.
"They have not shown any sympathy towards their customers and have violated the basic rights of the citizenry," he said.
Labels: CHIEF MWANACHINGWALA, LABOUR, MUYUNDA ILILONGA, NEOLIBERALISM, ZACA, ZAMBIA SUGAR
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Smoking in public places
By Editor
Friday May 30, 2008 [04:00]
There is no doubt about the damage that smoking does. And we also think that a lot of people who are not smokers would actually prefer to be in an environment where there is no smoking taking place. There is abundant evidence that breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke carries serious health risks, especially for children or those who are chronically exposed, such as at the workplace.
We therefore urge all Zambians to support last month’s Statutory Instrument that was initiated by local government minister, Sylvia Masebo, to ban smoking in public places because it would safeguard the public and encourage more smokers to quit.
Only smoke-free buildings and public places truly protect non-smokers from the hazards of breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke.
Non-smokers are exposed to second-hand smoke – involuntary smoking – that puts people at increased risk of death from lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.
Moreover, there is no risk-free level of exposure to someone else’s drifting smoke. Even the issue of the rights of the smoker raised by Zambia Medical Association president Dr Swebby Macha needs to be treated with a lot of care because designated places for smoking still enable smoke to escape from there into the lungs of non-smokers. And what rights do smokers really have when it comes to smoking in public places? Rights are exercisable only up to a point where your acts do not affect your neighbour. Immediately your smoke affects other people, you cannot claim to have a right to smoking.
We should also be especially concerned about young children who can’t escape their parents’ addiction in search of cleaner air. We should think about the plight of children in their smoking parents’ homes where the public smoking ban does not reach. Those children are at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, lung infections such as pneumonia, ear infections and more severe asthma.
Exposure to second-hand smoke remains an alarming public health hazard and Masebo should be commended for attempting to address it, to put an end to it.
Masebo deserves credit for realising that non-smokers need protection through the restriction of smoking in public places. Smokers should also not be allowed to puff around children even in their own homes. Children need protection everywhere.
We therefore urge all Zambians to support this ban because without their support, it would be impossible for it to be effective. And as Zambia Consumer Association executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga has warned, this Statutory Instrument may be as ineffective as many similar others before it that attempted to deal with other nuisances like urinating, spitting, littering and so on and so forth in public places. These are very difficult to enforce.
It is not possible to have police officers going round enforcing anti-smoking bans. It will be expensive to undertake such patrols. And how many policemen do we have anyway?
This being the case, this ban will only be effective if the public support it and enforce it on behalf of the state and indeed on their own behalf. The government has done its part. What remains is for us the citizens of this country to do our part.
There is no longer a scientific controversy that second-hand smoke is a killer. And therefore, there is no reason for us to take half measures to restrict smoking. We should go all the way and stop this nuisance that is killing our people directly and indirectly.
Separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air and ventilation systems don’t eliminate exposure to second-hand smoke. What is needed are comprehensive smoking bans. Public smoking restrictions not only reduce second-hand smoke but discourage active smoking in the nation.
Smoking is a serious health hazard that should not be played around with. If one is in doubt, we advise them to go and talk to our good friend Mr Michael Sata, who for a number of years, we had problems restraining from smoking in our offices whenever he visited us. It was not easy to grab cigarettes from the lips of a senior citizen and prominent politician like Mr Sata.
Second-hand smoke can act on the arteries so quickly that even brief exposure to someone else’s smoke can endanger people who are at high risk of heart disease. And for this reason, we advise those who smoke never to smoke around a sick relative.
Living with a smoker increases a non-smoker’s risk of lung cancer and heart disease by a very high factor – some say even up to 30 per cent.
There isn’t proof that second-hand smoke causes breast cancer, but the evidence is suggestive.
We should therefore treat direct smoking and second-hand smoke as a toxic air pollutant.
And for these reasons, it is easy to understand why Masebo, when announcing the banning of smoking in public places said, “…prohibition of smoking in public places has had to be given special attention due to its hazardous nature to non-smokers who are forced to be passive smokers and this affects their health although they do not smoke.”
This Statutory Instrument is not an end in itself – it is just a means. If we support it and give it effect, it will help us protect ourselves from all these dangers. It may also enable us to discourage others from committing suicide through smoking. Let us give it spirited support.
Labels: SMOKING BAN, ZACA
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ZACA urges enforcement of new anti-smoking law
By Zumani Katasefa and Mwila Chansa
Friday May 30, 2008 [04:00]
GOVERNMENT should ensure that the new law that prohibits smoking in public does not join a queue of other laws that are not effectively enforced, Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga has urged. And Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) president Dr Swebby Macha said smoking areas should be designated to avoid infringing on the rights of smokers. Commenting on the new law that prohibits smoking in public, Ililonga said the move was progressive and hoped that it would help save people's lives from the harmful tobacco.
"As ZACA we welcome the law. It is going to help save lives of those who have chosen to commit suicide by smoking in public as well as non-smokers who are indirectly affected by the tobacco smoke," he said.
Ililonga said Zambia had very good laws on paper but that they lacked enforcement.
"This is a big step ahead, but the problem that we have in Zambia is that we have so many good laws which are not enforced. What we need now is a system of policing these laws," Ililonga said.
And Dr Macha said while the ZMA welcomed the ban on smoking in public places, it was important for smoking areas to be designated so that the rights of smokers were not infringed.
Dr Macha said smoking in public places infringed on the rights of non-smokers as they unwillingly inhaled smoke by virtue of being next to smokers.
He said the government's decision was a milestone in protecting non-smokers from second-hand or passive smoking in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) directive last year for all countries that had not taken action on indoor smoking to do so.
"The dangers of passive smoking, especially in enclosed places, are already known. Cigarettes contain nicotine which is one of the toxins implicated in causing lung cancer, repeated chest infections, worsened asthma attacks, heart attacks, and even strokes," said Dr Macha.
He further said cigarettes were also linked to cancers such as cervical and in reduced fertility for both men and women.
Dr Macha added that cigarettes were also linked to low birth weight babies and congenital anomalies such as pre-mature labour and bleeding in late pregnancy.
Dr Macha said there was need for more public education on the dangers of smoking and that professional organisations such as ZMA and the media could spearhead the awareness.
On Wednesday, local government minister Sylvia Masebo signed a Statutory Instrument (SI) prohibiting smoking in public places.
Masebo said she was compelled to sign the SI, dated April 9, 2008, which has since been gazetted, due to continued smoking in public by persons with no regard for the comfort of others.
Masebo warned that anyone in contravention of the regulation would be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding K4,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.
Labels: SMOKING BAN, ZACA
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ZACA urges govt to improve revenue collection at RTSA
By Joan Chirwa
Wednesday March 19, 2008 [03:00]
GOVERNMENT should first improve revenue collection efficiency at the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) instead of implementing new road user fees, Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) chief executive Muyunda Ililonga has said. Appearing before a parliamentary committee on Communication, Works and Supply on Monday, Illilonga said RTSA was currently failing to collect revenue from motorists because of its low efficiency levels.
“The view held by many motorists is that RTSA is inefficient and is failing to collect existing government revenue as many motorists queue for many days to fulfill their tax obligations. The motorists are let down by the government agency that is failing to provide them service in good time and as a consequence, the money that is supposed to go to government is held back by the motorists,” Illilonga said. “So one of the ways that government can mobilise the revenue so desperately needed to develop and maintain our road infrastructure is by improving the collection efficiency by RTSA instead of increasing fees.”
Illilonga said the proposed increase to road user fees would also stimulate corrupt practices among government officials and citizens.
“Experience has shown that whenever the state imposes high taxes on the citizens, the temptation to avoid paying such taxes by conniving with the enforcement agencies becomes prevalent. This in real terms means loss of revenue to government and an increase in corruption cases,” Illilonga said. “As a consumer body, we also fear that an increase in the road user fees will translate into an increase in bus fares because business entities will simply pass on the fees onto the consumers.”
Illilonga said the proposed road user fees should not be implemented as the government is expected to raise additional revenue from increased mine taxes, the resources that could also be used for road construction and maintenance.
“The Zambian consumer is already heavily burdened with several other taxes and the proposed increase in licence fees will add injury to the already miserable consumer,” said Ililonga.
RTSA recently proposed a 400 per cent increase in road user fees, but it was later announced that the proposal was prematurely announced. The proposed fees have since been revised and are expected to come into law early next month.
Labels: PARLIAMENT, RTSA, ZACA
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Economic growth should benefit ordinary people, says Illilonga
By Joan Chirwa
Tuesday January 15, 2008 [13:00]
Economic interests of foreign companies have continued to overshadow the welfare of Zambian consumers, Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Illilonga has observed. And Illilonga has advised the government to be cautious of its dealings with multi-lateral lending institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the 2008 fiscal year. Illilonga, in an interview, said his association would not change its stance against the exploitation of Zambians by foreign interests regardless of their origin.
“A number of foreign companies have been enjoying a lot in this country and yet citizens are not benefitting much from most of the investments we have,” Illilonga said. “Government should put Zambian citizens at the centre of its vision of economic programmes for overall economic growth.”
Illilonga said the government should this year endeavour to pass on the benefits of the recorded economic growth to ordinary citizens.
“The much talked about economic growth has remained illusive for consumers. Government should this year try to bring down the benefits of economic growth to the people. It is not enough to just have economic growth on paper,” Illilonga said.
“Economic growth should be seen through infrastructure, the welfare of people and the provision of basic services. Economic growth must lead to happiness and not misery among people. We need to see improvements on roads and other critical infrastructure for the economic growth to be well translated.”
Illilonga further said there was no justification for economic growth since people’s purchasing power was constantly declining.
The government last year forecast a seven per cent growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) although the country ended the year slightly below the target.
In its 2008-2010 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the government has again projected a seven per cent growth in GDP owing to the massive investments in key sectors of the economy, especially mining.
And Illilonga said much as the government is in need of adequate financing, it needed to refocus its methods of sourcing for resources especially from multi-lateral institutions.
“It is time for the government to start deciding on its own. We have had a lot of things done in an improper manner because we prefer to listen to the World Bank or the IMF,” Illilonga said.
“The Bretton Woods institutions have contributed greatly to some economic problems we are experiencing today, for example, the concessions given to the mining companies.”
Labels: ECONOMY, IMF, MUYUNDA ILILONGA, ZACA
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