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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
THE government and industry will benefit immensely from the Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA) programme, which will curb the influx of substandard goods into the country, a top official has said. CBCA is an initiative to curb the importation of sub-standard products and is expected to be fully implemented on March 1, 2016.

Last year, the government engaged a French firm, Bureau Veritas, to provide pre-shipment services of listed products in the country of export and issuance of certificates of conformity based on the national and international quality, safety, health and environment standards.

The programme was officially launched on July 27 last year.

However, its full implementation by November 1, 2015 was delayed as the Ministry of Industry and Commerce took time to address some technical and administrative objections raised by businesses on the programme.

Standards Development and Quality Assurance deputy director in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Bridget Dzimwasha, said Friday that the influx of sub-standard imported goods that do not meet required standards impacted negatively on competitiveness of local businesses.

“Both the government and industry will now have to benefit from the CBCA programme, which seeks to eliminate substandard imports from entering into the country,” she said in an interview in Bulawayo.

“Listed products under the CBCA programme, if entering the country, have to be inspected and certified for quality. If they’re sub-standard, it means the products will be denied entry,” she said.

The ministry has held a CBCA programme awareness campaign in Harare and Bulawayo to clarify the implementation of the new programme.

“The government will also benefit from the programme as it’ll among other benefits get five percent royalty fees from the inspections and testing of the products. The country’s import bill is also expected to be reduced through the CBCA as substandard goods will not be allowed.

“The CBCA programme will also enhance the resuscitation of local companies by protecting them from unfair competition compounded by cheap imports on the local market,” said Dzimwasha.

She said her ministry had taken note of rampant smuggling at the country’s entry points adding that the CBCA programme would help weed out smugglers.

“As we go along the programme, we’ve taken note of the rampant smuggling at the ports of entry and we’ll be working together with Zimra (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) to institute border controls to curb smuggling of goods. At the moment, Zimra personnel are being trained to enhance their border control operations ahead of the full implementation of the CBCA programme,” she said.

Over the years, local industries have been negatively affected by smuggling and importation of cheap products into the country with business calling for protectionist policies such as an increase in import duty or even a total ban of imports.

To promote local industry’s competitiveness, the government has exempted raw materials from the list of goods which are expected to be on the CBCA programme.

In a speech read on his behalf by Dzimwasha, Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha urged the business community and all stakeholders to support the CBCA programme.

He said success of the programme hinged on all stakeholders.

“Let us as a nation ensure that we consume at all times quality products either produced locally or imported. A point to note is that Zimbabwe isn’t the only country implementing this programme, other countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana have also contracted Bureau Veritas to assess conformity along the same lines,” he said.