Zambia bans maize exports
Xinhua, April 5, 2016 Adjust font size:
The Zambian government on Tuesday imposed a week-long ban on the export of maize and maize products in order to ascertain the actual quantities of maize the country has.
Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary Julius Shawa said the ban was also aimed at stabilizing maize meal prices across the country.
The government, he said, has established an inter-agency team to undertake a verification exercise to ascertain the actual quantities of maize held by various stakeholders.
The ban may be extended depending on the outcome of the verification exercise, he added.
The official said the country's revenue agency, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), will take charge of all trucks with maize and maize products on all border points, and that it will not accept any photocopied documents for any exports of maize and maize products.
Zambia has witnessed an increase in the smuggling of maize and maize products in recent weeks due to a huge market in some neighboring countries, which has resulted in prices of maize meal skyrocketing across the country.
Last week, authorities restricted the transportation of maize and maize products from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in order to curb rampant smuggling of the commodity. Endit