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In an interview, MIAZ vice-president Mr Reggies Sibanda said the motor industry was trying to protect parts retailers from wholesalers that doubled as wholesalers and retailers.
“This is affecting business for retailers as some of them are still growing and need our protection.
“This issue has been talked about and it is high time we act. As MIAZ we are calling upon all vehicle parts retailers to come up with names of unscrupulous wholesalers who are involved in this,” Mr Sibanda said.
He said if names of the unscrupulous dealers were secured the details would be forwarded to the Competition and Tariff Commission for redress.
“We have realised that some of players in the monitoring industry had negotiated for dealership with manufacturing companies from South Africa, Dubai and Japan just to mention a few on pretext of coming back to be wholesalers here.
“But once they accomplished that, they turned into retail instead of wholesale hence affecting local retailers,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said they were not against wholesalers but they wanted them to redefine, and reposition themselves to let retailers deal with the public.
“There is real need to follow the sequence of marketing so that every person at different stages of the business hierarchies will have space and chance to operate fully.
“In as much as we want to protect all members, we need to keep the systems straight to avoid business that encroaches into others,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said in order for this to be achievable, there was need for co-operation of both parties as the issue was destroying business for retailers.
“We will engage those manufacturing companies outside Zimbabwe so that we get to know how their dealership works.
“Wholesalers can procure from outside the country and supply to retailers but they should never do both retailing and wholesaling,” he said.
Online Reporter