By JOHN SAKALA
The Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) says Zambians have a habit of killing the economy of their country.
EAZ Copperbelt Chapter Chairperson Matthews Muyembe said Zambians kill their economy by failing to buy Zambian products.
Speaking in an interview with The Independent Observer today June 3, 2020, Mr Muyembe wondered why Zambians choose to buy vegetables, tomatoes, onions from foreign owned chain stores at the expense of poor marketeers and local supermarkets.
He said that it is cruelty on part of Zambians to go and buy bread, liquor among other items from chain store instead of promoting struggling Zambian businesses.
Mr Muyembe has called on President Edgar Lungu to lead the ‘Buy Zambia’ campaign by directing his ministers to be buying from Zambian shops.
He said that it doesn’t augur well to see Zambian ministers trolling in foreign chain stores at the expense of Zambian supermarkets.
Mr Muyembe said severally there is no money in circulation because Zambians like spending all they have in foreign chain stores whose owners externalize the funds to their countries.
He said if Zambians can be buying Zambian products, the money can be circulating in Zambia thereby strengthening the economy and the currency.
“Some of us complain that we can’t buy bread from the nearby kiosk because their bread is not fresh. So if you don’t buy from them how do you expect their perishable commodities to be fresh? If the whole neighbourhood can be buying from that nearby kiosk, the bread will be finishing and the owner will be restocking every day, thereby making bread fresh.
“The other advantage of buying from the kiosk near you is that on the day you are low on income you can collect bread or vegetables on credit and pay the next day. Which one of us has gone to collect items from these foreign chain stores that we like frequenting on credit?
