Practice fair pricing, CZR tells retailers

Sukoluhle Ndlovu, Midlands Correspondent
THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has encouraged retailers across the country to practice fair pricing and ensure that customers afford basic goods and services.

Speaking during the Midlands retailers and wholesalers annual awards in Gweru on Thursday, CZR President, Mr Denford Mutashu, said: “As CZR, we are encouraging our members to use fair pricing models, which ensure that consumers afford goods and services while bringing long term sustainable value business. Let us not shortchange our customers,” he said.

Mr Mutashu also called upon Treasury to assist businesses to stabilise the pricing environment.

“We call upon Treasury to deploy effective fiscal tools to stabilise the pricing environment and ensure that adequate resources are allocated to the productive sectors so that companies can retool, acquire critical raw materials and optimise production and competitiveness.

“It is our sincere hope that Government will come up with a 2019 budget that provides a strong footing for the envisaged upper middle-income economy by 2030,” said Mr Mutashu.

He called upon the business community to maintain high standards of integrity and professionalism to avoid fleecing customers.

“As retailers we have to rise to the occasion and champion retail excellence in our industry. Let us continue to unite and reinforce the drive to uphold professionalism and integrity in our industry,” said Mr Mutashu.

He applauded Government for temporarily suspending SI 122, saying it will go a long way in bettering the lives of many Zimbabweans.

“We applaud the Government for temporarily suspending SI 122 which allows individuals to import a wide range of basic commodities. We calling upon the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to ensure there is adequate foreign currency to pay for the imports,” he said.

Meanwhile, TV sales and Home scooped the furniture retailer of the year while Vital supermarket walked away with the SME retailer of the year. Simrac Supermarket won the Best retailer branch network.