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Martin Kadzere in Mutare
Individual importers will not be affected by measures which Government came up with to restrict imports of goods that can be produced locally, Industry and Commerce secretary Mrs Abigail Shonhiwa said. Last month, the Government gazetted Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016, which temporarily regulates importation of various goods to promote local companies by fighting unfair competition from imported products.Addressing delegates during the ongoing Buy Zimbabwe annual summit here, Mrs Shonhiwa said only commercial importers would be affected by the piece of legislation.
“The Statutory Instrument has not impacted on the ordinary person who will be buying few items for the family. The removal (of the open general import licence) is supposed to have an impact on commercial imports and that is a matter being tightened up.
“The SI is for commercial imports and we will come up with a document that will highlight the administration of this instrument in relation to individual importers,” said Mrs Shonhiwa said.
Some of the products, which were removed from Open General Import Licence include bottled water, mayonnaise, salad cream, peanut butter, jams, maheu, canned fruits, vegetables, pizza, yoghurts, flavoured milks, dairy juice blends, ice creams, cultured milk, cheese, coffee creamers, camphor creams, white petroleum jellies, body creams and plastic pipes.
The legislation also controls importation of second-hand tyres, urea and ammonium nitrate fertilisers, tile adhesives and tylon, shoe polish and synthetic hair products. Goods categorised as builder-ware products including wheelbarrows (flat pan and concrete pan wheelbarrows), roofing frameworks, pillars, columns, balustrade, shutters, towers, masts, roofs and roofing framework are also part of the restricted list.
Flash doors, beds, wardrobes, bedroom and dining room suites, office furniture and specified woven fabrics of cotton were restricted.
“In taking the measures, we are also mindful of our regional and international trade obligations,” said Mrs Shonhiwa.
“There are steps that have to be taken and these steps were followed. We did not want retaliatory measures when we also want to export.”
Mrs Shonhiwa said some products were being brought into the country at very low prices to get US dollars out of the country.
“It is not only the quantity of goods coming in but the value at which those goods are landing at our borders,” she said.
“The prices are ridiculous and when the final analysis is done, the goods are being brought to Zimbabwe to get the US dollar. I saw an invoice of a wheelbarrow for $1,28 before duty. How can local products compete with such.”
The restrictions follow the control of the wholesale importation of cooking oil through a similar piece of legislation in 2014. Since that restriction, locally manufactured cooking oil now occupies 95 percent of supermarket shelf space, a massive jump from 15 percent in 2014, according to official statistics.
Online Reporter