Kambwili Speaks Out On Food Inflation

NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili has attacked the price of food, which he says has become unaffordable as a result of inflation caused by bad government policy.

Taking to social media Kambwili made the comments following a tour of Shoprite at Lewanika Mall where he examined the price of essential household goods.

“I have to say that I'm shocked at the prices of basic goods,” Kambwili wrote.

 “A tray of eggs is now selling for K47, just four months ago a tray of eggs was K28. A small 750 Ml bottle of cooking oil is now selling for K29 when it was only K12 last year. A KG of fish is now selling for K37, three months ago the price was K28 per kilo. A 1 litre of milk is now K18, four months ago it was K10. Mealie meal is still expensive, upwards of K115 for 25 KG. Bread is now K14, when it was only K8 five months ago. A fully grown chicken is selling for over K60, up from K40 just six months ago,” the NDC leader claims.

“Based on my survey, I have concluded that the cost of essential household commodities has increased by over 40% between January 2020 and July 2020, this is just over a six month period,” he continued.

The NDC leader noted that it is not just the price of essential household goods that have increased in recent times, pointing to significant rises in electricity and fuel prices.  

Kambwili said that the vast majority of households in the country cannot afford these prices, particularly in the rural areas. He also noted that the 4% pay increase for civil servants was not of much value when you consider that food has increased by 40%. 

According to the opposition politician there are several reasons contributing to the upwards trend in prices. These include loadshedding, the high cost of electricity, the high cost of fuel and the increasing cost of agricultural inputs as a result of a weak kwacha and middlemen. 

Kambwili went on to set out how the NDC intends to tackle the problem and ensure Zambians can afford to have a decent standard of living.

“We will lower the taxes on fuel, we will cut out middlemen in the procurement of fuel and agricultural inputs, we will embark on development of several solar, thermal and wind power plants to end load shedding once and for all, we will provide more subsidies on agricultural inputs and we will ensure that there's a substantial increase in agricultural output that will lower the prices of agricultural products,” he stated.