By CHATULA KANGALI –
THE Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) has reduced its proposed fees on veterinary medicines by 50 per cent.
This comes after the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and other players in the livestock sector made representations against the proposed increase in regulatory fees arguing that the move would make the cost of veterinary medicines expensive and unaffordable.
According to a statement released on the ZNFU website, the increases in veterinary regulatory fees would result into high cost of livestock products thereby making the sector uncompetitive against imported products.
ZAMRA public Relation Ladovic Mwape said in an interview that his institution had proposed for an increase in veterinary medicine fees which was denied by farmers.
He said ZMRA during a stakeholders meeting held last week reduced its proposed fees by 50 per cent and implemented what the farmers wanted.
The application for issue of an agro-veterinary shop permit class one was reduced from K4,750 to K2,370, inspection fee for grant of an agro-veterinary shop permit class one from K3,600 to K2,370;
Renewal of the agro-veterinary shop permit class one was reduced from K2, 600 to K 1,800.
Change of premises of agro-veterinary shop permit class one was reduced from K4, 750 to K2,370.
Mr Mwape said the authority would maintain the two per cent import screening fee for quality assurance.
He said for the fees to be revised, there was need for the proposals to be sent to Parliament for approval.
ZNFU stated that the two per cent import screening fee for quality assurance was too high and made veterinary drugs in Zambia expensive and unaffordable by many small scale farmers.