Zimbabwe set to block cheap imports

Zimbabwe which has been flooded by cheap imports is now taking measures to block these.

Minister of Industry, Mike Bimha said the government will soon inspect all imports entering Zimbabwe looking at quality and standards by creating a regulatory authority responsible for such inspections.

Speaking during a dinner organised by the Confederation of Zimbabwean Industries in Gweru on Thursday, Minister Mike Bimha said Government was in the process of formulating a regulatory framework which would create the regulatory authority with the mandate to carry out inspections at border posts to reduce smuggling of low quality products that do not meet local standards.

"My ministry is working on a piece of legislation which will create a regulatory authority with a responsibility of inspecting goods that come into this country. Where these products do not meet our standards they will not be accepted into the country," he said.

Minister Bimha said the Government had been in the past few years let down by corrupt officials who were smuggling poor quality products into the country much to the detriment of the local industry.

"We should admit that our boarders are porous and poor quality products were being smuggled into the country much to the disadvantage of the industry. This dire situation was worsened by corrupt officials. We are going to engage the ministry of Home Affairs who are the law enforcers and the Ministry of Finance responsible for revenue collection to tighten screws at our borders to ensure that products that do not meet our local standards do not enter.

"We need to expedite the issue of one-stop border posts to reduce the smuggling in of poor quality products that do not meet our standards," he said.

Minister Bimha said the Government was also working on implementing the proposed levy on the exportation of raw hides to discourage their exportation and sustain the local industry.

"I have been reminded to implement the proposed levy or tax on the exportation of raw hides which starves tanners of their basic raw material and the shoe manufacturers of locally produced and value-added leather.