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Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau
IMPORTS of more than 400 million items were blocked between 2015 and early this year for failing to meet the required standards as part of the pre-shipment regulations under the Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA) programme.
The Government regulations are used to block imports where laid down quality standards are not met, and it is possible for tens of thousands of individual identical items to be blocked in a single shipment if the particular items all flunk the checks.
The CBCA regulations were adopted on December 18, 2015, making it mandatory for goods to be tested for conformity with required standards prior to import into Zimbabwe.
The programme was adopted to reduce hazardous and substandard imported products and improve customs duty collection. Bureau Veritas was appointed by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for the verification and the assessment of conformity of goods in exporting countries.
Under the new regulations, a penalty fee for importing without a COC has been reduced to 12 percent from 15 percent of the value of the goods.
As part of the new import dispensation, all products regulated by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce exported into Zimbabwe must be accompanied by a CBCA certificate.
The categories of goods regulated under the programme include the following: food and agriculture, building and civil engineering, petroleum and fuels, packaging material, electrical and electronic products, body care, automotive and transportation, clothing and textile and toys.
Bureau Veritas contracts manager Mr Tendai Malunga said during an engagement meeting in Beitbridge on Friday organised by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce that the country had started reaping the fruits of the CBCA initiative.
“Since the inception of the programme, more than 400 million of projects have been rejected and we have seen a continued vote of confidence on the part of the Government in terms of the continuation of the policy thrust,” said Mr Malunga.
“You will note that there is a continual increase in the scope of the products that is covered by the regulations through Statutory Instrument 124 of 2020, and very recently Statutory Instrument 35 of 2024. Zimbabwe is doing very well in terms of deploying and implementing this particular programme”.
He said similar regulations were being implemented in over 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East where Bureau Veritas was operating from.
The official said the CBCA concept was a key pillar to ensure there is a protection of the local industry and regulation conformity.
Online Reporter