Zimbabwe phasing out roller meal subsidy, to give beneficiaries cash

HON. MADZIMURE: Supplementary question. The Minister in his response touched on two issues which are very important. Firstly, the issue of targeted cash transfers and also the shortage of roller meal. On the amount that is being transferred, if the subsidy is going to be removed, the amount that those vulnerable people are getting cannot even buy a 10kg of roller meal.

Secondly, regarding the shortages, how come refined mealie meal is found on the shelves and is very expensive yet roller meal is not found. Does it mean that we have maize specifically grown for  super refined mealie meal and then roller meal has its own maize or it is a process of simply cleaning the maize to get refined mealie meal? Is it a deliberate ploy that the millers would want to mill super refined that is more expensive since it does not add up when you say roller meal is in short supply because there is no maize when super refined is always on the shelves?

HON. CHIDUWA: It is true what the Hon. Member has just said that the cash transfers looking at the price of roller meal in the market at the moment is not enough. This is why we have been continuously looking at the amount that we are disbursing such that starting this month we will increase the cash transfers from $180 to $300. We are not saying this is enough but we are also taking cognisance of our budgetary constraints – what we have in our coffers. We will continue to look at the figure to see to what extent we can continue to adjust it upwards in line with inflationary trends.

With regards to why refined roller meal is found in the market and not the ordinary roller meal – what we have seen in the market is that for one to be able to supply roller meal at the subsidised price, they should source their maize from GMB.  Sometimes we also have got foreign currency problems.  We are not in a position to supply the maize and there are also some millers who feel that the subsidy that we offer is not up to the expected price for the roller meal.  So, because of that, you see that most of the millers are shunning the milling of roller meal opting for the refined meal.  So, I think it is a question of choice by the business person.  It is a business decision which we cannot force the millers.

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