. Hichilema
By SYLVIA MWEETWA –
OPPOSITION United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema says farmers are the most hit by high fuel costs.
Mr Hichilema said as long as the fuel pump price remained high in the country, all the other commodities including farming inputs and transport would remain high.
Speaking when he addressed a rally at Chikupili grounds in Mkushi South on Thursday to drum up support for his party’s candidate Agnes Ng’andu Mambwe, the UPND leader said there was need to reduce the cost of fuel if the benefits were to be passed on to the public.
He maintained that there was need to reduce the cost of food production in the country by lowering the cost of inputs and fuel.
He said prices of all the commodities including mealie meal had remained high largely because of the cost of production dictated by high fuel prices and other factors such as high farming input costs.
Mr Hichilema appealed to the Government to announce the floor price for maize and other agriculture produce long before the farming season to allow farmers plan on time.
He said Central Province should emulate the electorate in Katuba by voting for the UPND candidate because his party would win the elections in 2016.
And Ms Mambwe asked the people to vote for her and pledged to be exemplary if voted for on September 11.
