THE Ministry of Industry and Commerce has hired the services of a France-based company to help government come up with import standards in a bid to protect the local manufacturing sector. 
Local companies are saddled with old and defunct machinery, working capital challenges, crippling power and water shortages
This forces the firms to charge more for their products in order to remain viable, resulting in consumers opting for cheaper imports.
Addressing journalists during a tour of the industries in Bulawayo, deputy minister of Industry and Commerce Iris Mabuwa said government is committed to protecting the local manufacturing sector. 
She revealed that the French company, Bureau Veritas, would assist the government to come up with mechanisms to stem the inflow of cheap products, after industry complained that they were losing business due to the cheap imports.
Mubuwa said Bureau Veritas would conduct checks on all the imports into Zimbabwe at the source and the costs will be borne by the company importing the goods to Zimbabwe. 
The new system is expected to be implemented in May and is expected to result in consumers in the country getting value for their money. 
“We will be getting the value for our money, be it from finished products that are coming in as raw materials for instance fabrics are finished products but they can be raw materials for the textile industry, we will be getting the value of our money,” said Mabuwa.
The new system would also ensure that substandard goods do not find their way into the local economy.
“What this means is that we are going to reduce the inflow of cheap and substandard products and also do away with importers faking the costs of their products because Bureau Veritas will also inspect costs.
“The inspection for costs will ensure that the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) does not approximate the costs or have to settle for what they consider what to be the exact costs,” she said. 
Bureau Veritas operates in 140 countries worldwide, providing pre-shipment services to African countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.Advertisement