Zambia gov't orders foreign chain stores to halt food imports

The Zambian government has given foreign chain stores a two-month ultimatum to stop importing food products but instead start procuring locally produced food stuffs, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Miles Sampa said the government will ban chain stores from importing certain processed foodstuffs such as potatoes if they feel to comply with a directive given by the country's President Edgar Lungu over the need to stock local foodstuffs.

"We are serious to ensure that all supermarkets operating in Zambia stock produce by local farmers and processed by industries that are in Zambia so that we create employment. Those chips that are imported from South Africa make Zambia spend about 12 million U.S. dollars per year to bring in those chips," he was quoted as saying by the paper.

While indicating that the government does not want to impose laws to force foreign chain stores to stock locally produced foodstuffs, the Zambian minister said the move will allow the country save a lot of foreign exchange.

"We are talking about the exchange rate not improving in Zambia. So we are serious, we don't want to regulate, we will pass laws, we want to speak to you, only when you fail, you will force us to start establishing laws and banning importation of processed foodstuffs," he added.

The Zambian has since urged consumers to buy locally produced foodstuffs in order to support local industries.

Zambia has seen an increase in foreign chain stores, especially from South Africa who however have been importing some foodstuffs from their country much to the chagrin of local industries.

Lungu recently directed that all chain stores should start stocking local foodstuffs. Endi