News / National
Used Japanese cars exported to Zimbabwe are safe says Japan
15 Mar 2012 at 06:09hrs | Views
THE Japanese government has allayed fears that vehicles being imported from that country into Zimbabwe could have been contaminated by radioactive material following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March last year, the Herald reported on Thursday.
Deputy Head of the Japanese Mission in Zimbabwe Mr Hideaki Harada yesterday said they had carried out effective decontamination of the affected areas.
Mr Harada's comments follow statements by Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas
Goche that Government had been warned of possible contamination by a Zimbabwean citizen living in Japan.
Minister Goche said this while testifying before a parliamentary committee this week.
"We've since adopted a policy and principle emphasising on reconstruction and decontamination of all the affected areas, including Fukushima.
"My government also thoroughly inspects all exports from the country and other governments are free to set up monitoring mechanisms at their borders," Mr Harada said.
He said they had a policy against the exportation of products with radioactive material.
"The Japanese government policy in principle is that any product with radioactive material or radioactive contamination above acceptable limits, should neither be traded locally (in Japan) nor exported to overseas markets.
"Any product that might be suspected to pose health hazards is not fit for any market, in terms of that policy and second-hand motor vehicles are therefore not an exception," he said.
Mr Harada said their exports conformed to World Health Organisation standards.
Mr Harada said they had not received complaints from port authorities in Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa where most imported cars come through since the disaster last year.
The Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred when an earthquake-induced tsunami damaged the Nuclear Power Station, resulting in the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
The earthquake caused over 20 000 deaths.
Deputy Head of the Japanese Mission in Zimbabwe Mr Hideaki Harada yesterday said they had carried out effective decontamination of the affected areas.
Mr Harada's comments follow statements by Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas
Goche that Government had been warned of possible contamination by a Zimbabwean citizen living in Japan.
Minister Goche said this while testifying before a parliamentary committee this week.
"We've since adopted a policy and principle emphasising on reconstruction and decontamination of all the affected areas, including Fukushima.
"My government also thoroughly inspects all exports from the country and other governments are free to set up monitoring mechanisms at their borders," Mr Harada said.
"The Japanese government policy in principle is that any product with radioactive material or radioactive contamination above acceptable limits, should neither be traded locally (in Japan) nor exported to overseas markets.
"Any product that might be suspected to pose health hazards is not fit for any market, in terms of that policy and second-hand motor vehicles are therefore not an exception," he said.
Mr Harada said their exports conformed to World Health Organisation standards.
Mr Harada said they had not received complaints from port authorities in Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa where most imported cars come through since the disaster last year.
The Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred when an earthquake-induced tsunami damaged the Nuclear Power Station, resulting in the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
The earthquake caused over 20 000 deaths.
Source - TH
