4 June 2008
Ndola — THE shortage of sugar in retail outlets yesterday continued despite Zambia Sugar Plc assuring that it would off-load enough of the commodity on the local market to ease the crisis and bring down prices.
Snap surveys in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola and Solwezi revealed that sugar was still in short supply and prices had remained high in most of the outlets.
A check in shops in Lusaka city centre revealed a continued shortage of sugar, which had been in short supply in the last two weeks. Some shops had completely run out of the commodity.
A one kilogramme packet of sugar in the few outlets was fetching K10,000 while others only had brown sugar which was costing K7,500 per kg.
In Ndola, the few shops that had stocked the commodity were charging twice the recommended price.
In some outlets, the prices varied from about K10,000 to K15,000 for a 2kg packet.
A check in Shoprite found that sugar was not immediately available for sale as it was just being off-loaded by lunch time.
Officials in the retail outlet said sugar was going to be available by the end of the day.
Other outlets in the town centre where sugar was available had pegged the commodity at K15,000 for a 2kg packet and K6,500 for a 1kg packet.
At Masala Main market, the commodity was going for K13,000 for a 2kg packet and K6,000 for a 1kg white sugar packet.
Some shop owners that did not have the product wondered how other shops had the commodity when they could not access it.
Sugar prices in Kitwe had in some cases risen two-fold as the shortage of the commodity continued in the city.
An on-the-spot check showed that some shops with a few stocks were selling a 1kg packet of sugar at K8,000 while a 2kg of the commodity was going at K15,000 and K16,000, respectively.
The shortage of sugar in Chingola yesterday forced residents to queue up and scramble for sugar in Shoprite.
The town has been one of the worst hit by the critical shortage of sugar resulting in the price shooting up almost twofold.
A check at Shoprite yesterday found the retail outlet filled to capacity as the customers jostled to get the commodity.
One of the customers, Maimbolwa Milimo, said she could not stand the congestion after she was pushed down and opted to leave.
Chingola district commissioner, Toby Maliti regretted the continued shortage and hoped that the situation would improve before the end of the week.
The shortage of sugar also continued in Solweziin the North-Western Province where 2kg of white sugar was fetching an average K20,000, while a 1kg brown sugar was selling at K10,000.
A check revealed that Sun Shine, probably the most popular shop in the absence of Shoprite gutted early this year, and MG General dealers had no sugar.
Mubs mini-supermarket only had 1kg brown sugar, which was sellingat K10,000, while Watula Leza was selling 1kg brown sugar at K8,500. The 2kg white sugar was going for K20,000.
The Kitwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) advised Zambia Sugar management to flood the market with the commodity in order to normalise the prices.
KCCI president, Eddie Kapungulya said in an interview that the situation was also a wake-up call for Zambia Sugar to plan and store enough supplies of the commodity.
Mr Kapungulya called on the business community to observe business ethics and drop prices of sugar to the normal prices.
He also demanded to know the benefits of fortified sugar because Zambia was one of a few countries in the region which was exporting sugar.
"As KCCI, we would like to know the benefit of fortifying sugar because other countries in the region do not fortify sugar but people are still very healthy," Mr Kapungulya said.
He also said that there was need to liberalise the importation of sugar in the country.
Zambia Sugar has been exporting sugar to the Great Lakes region throughout March up to last week.
This is despite the company's insistence that it had not sold the commodity outside the country for three months.
According to two export invoices obtained by the Times on Monday, on March 25 Zambia Sugar exported 32,000 tonnes of household brown sugar to Burundi at the unit price of K1,400 per kilogramme.
On March 28, the company exported 32,000 tonnes of household brown sugar to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Documentation further shows that 30,000 tonnes of household brown sugar was exported to Burundi at a unit price of K1,200 per kilogramme, when Zambian consumers were buying sugar at K7,500 per kilogramme.
Last week, Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, Davidson Chilipamushi announced that Zambia Sugar Company had not exported sugar in the last three months except for the quota requirements to the European Union (EU).
Zambia Sugar corporate affairs manager, Lovemore Sievu said on Monday that the company was aware that one truck had 'slipped' out of the system, because the export department wanted to meet the order to Burundi.
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We muct open the market for sugar imports if Zambia sugar will behave the way they do. How can we buy sugar 5X the price we export it at. It rediculous. An end must be brought to this madness. Zambia sugar must be forced to sell sugar at not more than what it's being solve for on the export market. Or, can someone explain to us this nonsense. I dont get it. If they don't want to serve the local market, they must go bak to SA to exploit their own people. We Zambians are not desparate to accept such… [Read Full Text]