Business Reporter
ECONOMIC commentators have urged the government to craft legislation that will protect local industries from imports that continue to flood the market.In separate interviews, economic commentators concurred that the continued influx of some cheap imported products on the market was leading to the demise of local industries.

“Companies are unfairly competing with cheap substandard quality goods from imports. Given the economic hardships we face, people opt for those goods. Laws must be crafted to protect our local companies” said an economic commentator, Bradwell Mhonderwa.

He said the state of industries should be taken into consideration.

“A holistic approach should be taken when crafting the legislation, industries should get protection while at the same time they are upgraded to meet the standards of their competitors,” he said.

Another economic commentator, Dr Tafadzwa Matsika, said crafting legislation that protects local companies from imports should be made when local firms have the capacity to stimulate productivity to competitive levels.

He said if a legal framework against imports was to be promulgated before capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector improves to competitive levels, that would lead to shortages of goods on the market.

“The equipment in industries is colonial and dilapidated and companies are currently in no state to provide for the nation the right quality products,” he said.

An economist, Dr Davison Gomo said imports were leading to loss of employment in the country.

“Many companies have collapsed as they cannot compete with imports from nations that are economically stable. The government needs to take into account our nation’s interest. It should be able to make its own industries viable enough to compete on a global economic market,” he said.

Dr Gomo said imports should be allowed in areas that local companies were not able to supply  well.

“Not all companies are using old machinery, legislation should be crafted to protect those that can provide but are failing to do so because they have to compete with cheap imports,” he said.

Since dollarisation in February 2009, the local market has been characterised by an influx of imported products from countries such as Zambia, South Africa, China and Brazil.

 

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