TRANSPORT Minister Nicholas Goche is expected to make a key statement this week on the fate of an unpopular government plan to ban imports of second hand vehicles older than five years.
Goche told the ZBC last night that “consultations are still in progress” over the regulations which take effect on November 1.
Sources in the Transport Ministry familiar with the consultations told New Zimbabwe.com Goche’s announcement was likely on Wednesday.
The consultations, according to the sources, have shown an overwhelming majority of Zimbabweans oppose the policy.
Goche has told cabinet colleagues he may be forced to abandon the policy, which is the brainchild of Francis Nhema’s Environment Ministry.
Nhema argued in advance of the policy announcement that old vehicles posed a danger to the environment with higher carbon emissions.
But opponents of the policy say it would make cars an unaffordable luxury to a burgeoning middle class.
Munyaradzi Kashambe, a Harare car dealer, said Zimbabwe’s economy was not performing well enough to justify the ban.
“These are the only cars affordable to the majority of Zimbabweans and imposing a ban on such vehicles is great injustice to low income earners,” he said.
Zimbabweans have been involved in a mad dash to beat the deadline with an average 450 imported vehicles being cleared daily by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).
ZIMRA officials have warned nearly £15 million generated monthly from vehicle import duty would be lost to the economy.