Industry calls for import restrictions

BUSINESS says the removal of import controls is promoting excessive hoarding of cheaper basic goods from abroad, amid speculation that the controls might be re-imposed soon this year.
Last month, the minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube, suspended import duty and import value-added tax on 11 basic grocery items.
In a position paper on the measure, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) urged the government to consider the lifting of import controls on basic commodities.
“Our plea is that the government of Zimbabwe, through the ministry of Finance and Economic Development, reverses the lifting of the import restrictions on basic commodities.