Importers CBCA compliance goes up Cde Chiratidzo Mabuwa
Chiratidzo Mabuwa

Chiratidzo Mabuwa

Bianca Mlilo Business Reporter
INDUSTRY and Commerce Deputy Minister Chiratidzo Mabuwa says importers’ compliance to the Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA) programme “significantly” increased to 58 percent in June.

CBCA was implemented on March 1, 2016 by the Government through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as a measure of curbing the influx of substandard and hazardous goods in the country as well as creating a level playing field for local industry.

The CBCA programme is regulated by Statutory Instrument 132 of 2015 which stipulates that imported products must be verified for conformity or compliance to standards by the contracted conformity assessment agent in the country of origin before they can be allowed into Zimbabwe.

Responding to questions in Parliament last week, Deputy Minister Mabuwa said:

“Currently, the CBCA programme is progressing steadily with more importers complying with the regulations as evidently shown by compliance levels increasing significantly to 58 percent in June 2016.”

“The majority of the certificates of conforming issued are for chemical products respectively while pearls are the least.

“Most of the conformity assessment activities are carried out in South Africa, as it is the largest trading partner constituting 77 percent of total certificates of conforming issued followed by China, Zambia and the rest of the world.”

The Government has contracted French firm, Bureau Veritas under the CBCA programme to carry out 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 contract is expected to run for the next four years after which the pre-shipment inspection exercise would be carried out by the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority yet to be established.

“The Zimbabwe Quality Standards Authority will be responsible for ensuring that products imported into and exported from Zimbabwe meet quality, safety, health and environment standards,” said Deputy Minister Mabuwa.

The body would be administered by the Zimbabwe Standards Regulatory Authority Act whose draft Bill has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office for scrutiny. — @BiancaMlilo

 

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