FOREIGNERS POSE UNFAIR COMPETITION

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Richard Chandwe, one of the traders, complained that some Chinese nationals were in the habit of engaging in businesses usually reserved for the locals, such as selling fresh maize, moulding bricks, and selling chickens.

Mr Chandwe said that the traders had complained to the Ministry of Local Government about the ‘unfair’ practice but that nothing had reportedly been done to date.

He said that some Chinese nationals were also engaged in mobile phones vending along the city streets which they carried about in back packs and pockets.

Mr Chandwe said foreign investors should consider engaging in much bigger businesses than smaller ones, like selling mobile phones.

Another citizen, Mr Abel Mwasakilwa, disclosed that some Chinese were engaged in selling roasted maize, especially at the Soweto and Lusaka City Markets.

She said she had many times seen some Chinese nationals roasting and selling maize along the street, selling Irish potatoes, tomatoes, eggs and chickens at the market at cheaper prices.

Mr Mwasakilwa appealed to Government to step in and control the situation to ensure that the local businesses were not destroyed.

“Chinese people are still roasting maize here at Soweto Market and in other areas, they sell chickens, eggs and local farm produce cheaply, our appeal to government is to move in and ensure that they guide them on what businesses they should do and leave the small businesses to us,” Mr Mwasakilwa said.

Last month, the Lusaka City Council (LCC) Standing Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, recommended to the council to formulate a by-law to stop foreign investors from engaging in retail businesses.

The recommendation followed a discovery that some foreign investors were engaging in small businesses, such as selling chickens in markets.

The standing committee toured the markets after

LUSAKA traders have accused some foreign investors of creating unfair competition by engaging in ‘small’ businesses usually reserved for the Zambians.

complaints from the marketeers that some foreign investors had invaded markets and selling their goods at low prices thereby creating unfair competition.

Three people, alleged to have been selling chickens on behalf of some Chinese investors, were consequently apprehended and taken to Civic Centre where they were interrogated by the committee before being released.