By SHARON KALIMBULA and CHUSA SICHONE –
INFORMATION and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana says the Government is not paying any amount to First Quantum Minerals (FQM) for the transportation of the 4,000 tonnes of maize being imported from Tanzania.
Mr Kawana said the concerns by some sections of the public that the Government was paying a huge amount to FQM at the expense of the Zambian transporters were untrue as the gesture by FQM was purely a humanitarian contribution towards the drought situation in Zambia.
He said FQM made an offer to the Government that their trucks which take copper to Tanzania returned empty from there so they could use them to import the maize, an offer which culminated into a contract with terms and conditions that would bring in 4,000 tonnes of maize for free.