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Since liberalisation of the economy and the adoption of multiple currencies in 2009, Zimbabwe has become an attractive destination for foreign goods. Foreign companies are finding that it makes good business sense to export their goods for sale in Zimbabwe where prices are pegged in United States dollars.
Doing business in Zimbabwe assures these companies they do not experience headaches experienced in other countries which use their own, usually weak, currencies.
However, the rise in companies wanting to do business in the country has also seen a marked rise in products of suspect quality being imported into the country.
Some businesspeople have resorted to dumping goods in the country.
Anecdotes have been told of imported shoes that disintegrate after being worn only a couple of times or sugar that’s not so sweet that it requires 10 spoonfuls to sweeten a cup of tea.
With the dollar hard to come by to most people in the country, the temptation for most Zimbabweans is to go for the cheapest goods on the market. But at what price?
In the long run, going for cheap products will eventually prove costly as people are forced to buy the same product over and over again.
What makes it easy for foreign companies to send their poor quality goods to Zimbabwe is that the country has no legal instrument to subject imported goods to stringent quality tests.
Industry and Commerce Minister Cde Mike Bimha said while the government was concerned at the influx of cheap goods, its hands were tied because there is no requirement for imported goods to be tested before they are sold on the local market.
However, according to a story carried in our sister paper Sunday News, this might soon change as the government is working on legislation to empower the national quality assurance body, the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, to certify the quality of imported goods. Minister Bimha said with the proposed legislation, SAZ would be given powers to prevent the importation of sub-standard goods into the country.
The proposal by the government is long overdue. We hope it shall be implemented as it has been on the table for some time now.
Allowing goods to be imported into the country without being tested is not only exposing Zimbabweans to unknown hazards but also killing local industry.
Local industry is facing demise because of unfair competition posed by sub-standard goods. Zimbabwe is known for producing pricey quality goods and with the deluge of cheaply-priced inferior quality merchandise from abroad, local products stand no chance as price is the deal breaker in most transactions.
By ensuring that only quality tested goods are allowed through our borders, it means local goods will be able to withstand competition from imported goods of a similar quality as they will be on the market on the same footing.
However, government needs to ensure that SAZ is empowered to carry out this huge responsibility. With many goods being imported into the country, if SAZ is not given the right equipment in the right quantities, it might find itself overwhelmed.
It is important to ensure that any new quality testing system that comes into effect does not result in bottlenecks in the movement of goods just because SAZ does not have a capacity to deal with its new mandate.
Zimbabwe must remain a competitive destination for business.
Online Reporter