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Dickson Mangena, Business Reporter
THE once troubled Kango Products in Bulawayo has increased its exports to regional countries after taking advantage of the preferential trade agreements it has signed with regional countries, an official has said.
According to Kango Products regional sales and exports supervisor Mr Herbert Moyo, Kango Products business has picked over the last few months after taking a knock at the beginning of the year.
“We have had a slow start beginning of the year but we have picked up sales at the moment and we are actually exporting to four regional countries which Zambia, South Africa Namibia and Malawi,” said Mr Moyo.
He said the company was benefiting from the country’s membership in both the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
“We are greatly benefiting from the regional trade agreements that we signed with Sadc and Comesa that give us preferential advantages to easily do our export business. The advantages of signing both trade agreements is that we get to choose which we want to use for a particular country and a particular product,” said Mr Moyo.
Zimbabwe signed regional preferential trade agreements with Comesa and Sadc. The agreements give signatories preferential treatment meaning that products will attract reduced or no customs duties in the importing country.
Mr Moyo said that their products were slowly becoming household products in the region especially in the Zambia market.
Mr Moyo was speaking to Sunday News Business after a presentation he had made as a successful exporter testimony to other companies, encouraging them to take advantage of the trade agreements that the country is signatory to. It was at an export awareness seminar organised by ZimTrade, a trade governing body, in the city last week.
Speaking at the event, an official with Zimra said trade agreements were made to promote trade and to promote exports and stimulate the economy.
Zimra added that the requirements of some of the trade agreements was a minimum of 25 percent local content in the product that is being exported.
“Trade agreements require 25 percent local content in a product which include local material and direct labour,” said a Zimra official.- @Dixen6
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter