adminTinashe Makichi Business Reporter
Government said all consignments reaching Zimbabwe during the implementation period of the conformity assessment by standards company Bureau Veritas (BV) will not be turned away but rather will undergo routine inspections.Government has set 16 May as the day that implementation of inspection services will begin to 14 September 2015 and BV, a French-based company has been tasked to provide the country with Consignment Based Conformity Assessment services, a programme intended to substantially reduce hazardous and substandard imported products and improve customs duty collection.
Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Chiratidzo Mabuwa yesterday told importers who attended the launch of CBCA national awareness campaign that Government has made consultations and all products already at sea will not be turned away despite the appointment of Bureau Veritas to undertake pre-shipment services.
She said this after Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe’s Mr Tafadzwa Musarara raised a question on what Government is going to do with goods that are already in the sea and will not meet the 16 May date of implementation.
“There is no way any consignment that is already in the waters or that has already started arriving perhaps on the 14th of September that would be turned away.
“We took into consideration all that and I want to assure you that the consignments that will reach this destination and would have already departed before the date of the 16th of May will not be turned away,” said the Deputy Minister.
She said this does not mean the products will not be inspected but they will go through the routine inspection.
“For the future they will then be given a report that they should improve if there are areas to be improved on. Government engaged the French Company to provide conformity services as an interim measure pending the establishment of the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority,” said Deputy Minister Mabuwa.
Government signed a four-year CBCA contract with Bureau Veritas. The deal is for the provision of pre-shipment services of the listed products in the country of export and issuance of certificates of conformity based on the national and international quality, safety, health and environment standards.
Bureau Veritas services will create employment by providing training and employment of locals, to an amount equivalent to two percent of the annual turnover exclusive of royalty fee remitted to Government in the areas of laboratory, inspection, testing, legal enforcement, risk management and procurement, or on such other areas as may be determined by the Government of Zimbabwe, in an appropriate institution within the assigned region.
BV vice president Mr Arnaud Lamotte said the company would provide pre-shipment services of the listed products in the country of export and issue a certificate and at each point of entry, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority would require production of the certificate for the product to enter Zimbabwe.
He said the move by Zimbabwe will go a long way in protecting the consumers.
“Zimbabwe is currently being flooded with sub-standard imported goods which do not meet quality, safety, health and environmental standards in line with the World Trade Organisation agreements. BV has footprints in 150 countries in the world and Zimbabwe has joined other countries in safeguarding the health of its citizens,” said Mr Lamotte.
Imports are negatively impacting on the implementation of Zimbabwe’s blueprint, Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation in particular growth and development agenda, and the competitiveness of local industries.
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