Previous regimes ignored subsidies’ removal – Chitumbo

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Previous regimes ignored subsidies’ removal – Chitumbo

Chililabombwe, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, ZANIS —– Chillabombwe  District Commissioner Stuart Chitumbo has charged that previous regimes in government had ignored the removal of subsidies on fuel and farming inputs despite realizing the huge benefits of such a move for fear of becoming unpopular to the electorates.

 

Mr Chitumbo has thus urged Zambians to monitor government’s use of the over KR2 billion that would be saved annually in order to appreciate the investments that would arise in major sectors triggering social and economic development.

 

Mr Chitumbo called on the civil service to sensitise communities in which they operated on the significance of the removal of subsidies.

 

ZANIS reports that Chillabombwe  District Commissioner was speaking when he addressed heads of government departments and Chililabombwe Municipal Council (CMC) chief officers at the Council Chamber.

 

He said government had taken the bold step of removing subsidies as the policy was cosmetic and benefitted the rich and some foreigners at the expense of the masses hence the need for massive sensitization to ensure people’s mindsets changed.

 

Mr Chitumbo said communities were poised to benefit from the removal of subsidies as the resources that would be saved would be invested in key economic sectors like education, health, the road network, infrastructure development and many others.

 

He urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock staff to sensitise the cooperatives on the revised Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) as farmers would now be required to buy a 50 kg bag of fertilizer at KR100.

 

The District Commissioner said farmers needed to diversify to other crops unlike the current situation where there is overdependence on maize production lest with the unpredictable weather pattern that could compromise their yields.

 

Mr Chitumbo also urged the local authority staff and other government departments to also enhance the sensitization programmes in their operations of work such as among teachers, council employees and other stakeholders.

 

He said there was no need for people to resort to protests when the rationale for the removal of subsidies and its benefit was being explained to the general populace by various stakeholders.

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