Local Producers must increase Quality to Ringfence Market

Local Producers must increase Quality to Ringfence Market

 

 

Brian Rungano Temba

 

 

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is running a two day National Quality Policy Awareness meeting with stakeholders in an effort to curb substandard products that flood our market space.

 

The programme is also aimed at capacity building and strengthening of Provincial Quality Forums.

 

The meeting will address legislative shortcomings while looking at benchmark standards that enable the country to be competitive within the region and internationally.

 

The Deputy Director, Quality Assurance in the Ministry Ms Riyana Chibanda, said they have managed some level of success in controlling the influx of goods that are finding their way into Zimbabwean market.

 

She said there was need for an extensive awareness programmes to educate people on the quality requirements that go with impartation of goods.

 

 

“Its clear that more should be done by way of making people aware of some of the requirements that need to be followed when people import goods,” she added.

 

The following goods require a Licence from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to import supported by a statutory instrument;

 

Statutory Instrument 126 of 2014 banned the importation of Milk (liquid and powder for retail), Potatoes, Tomatoes, Onions, Biscuits and Yeast.

 

SI 19 of 2016 banned the import of Portland Plastic bag and Polymers, Soap and Soap Preparations (for retail), Tubes, Pipes, Conveyor belts and Rubber hoses.

 

Under SI 6 of 2014 Government banned the importation of Sugar, Poultry and Meat or Swine.

 

SI 19 of 2016 bans the import of Batteries, Candles, Floor polish and Tobacco twine.