Sugar distributors accused of demanding kickbacks in Zomba
Major retail shops in Zomba have gone two weeks without sugar on their shelves, amid allegations that some distributors are diverting supplies to alternative markets in exchange for kickbacks.
A survey conducted across several prominent retail outlets confirmed the unavailability of sugar, raising concerns among shop owners and consumers alike.
“We sell sugar at the recommended prices, but distributors are now demanding additional payments above the wholesale price,” said one retail shop owner, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “How am I supposed to recover that extra cost?”
Another retail manager echoed the sentiment, claiming that distributors are deliberately bypassing formal retailers.
“Sugar is readily available from hawkers, who allegedly bribe distributors and then sell it at inflated prices,” he said. “Our hands are tied. We are helpless. The system seems to be protecting the wrong people.”
Currently, sugar is being sold at around K3,700 per kilogram in informal markets—well above the government-recommended price of K2,950.
In response to growing concerns in the sector, Parliament recently passed the Sugar Industry Regulation Bill, which aims to restore order and fairness in sugar distribution and pricing.
Efforts to obtain comments from Illovo and Salima Sugar were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
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