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Government was last October forced to suspend Statutory Instrument 122 of 2017 (formerly S164 of 2016) to allow supermarkets and other businesses to restock.

Companies and individuals with offshore and free funds were allowed to import specified basic commodities that were in short supply due to speculative behaviour by local retailers and panic buying by consumers. 

The Government decision to lift the imports ban forced some manufacturers who had been stockpiling commodities for speculative purposes to off-load the products. 

A social media-induced panic buying had seen basic commodities being wiped out and the situation was worsened by some manufacturers who held onto the products with some diverting the goods to the foreign markets despite benefiting from foreign currency allocations from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Imported products have now flooded the market and local manufacturers are now crying foul as they are facing stiff competition from the imports whose prices are lower.

One of the affected companies is the country’s largest cement producer, Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) Zimbabwe which is now appealing to Government to protect local manufacturers.

The company’s managing director Mr Kelibone Masiyane said recently that the competitiveness of the company’s products has been affected by the lifting of the ban on imports.

He said the price of the imported cement was lower compared to the price of the locally produced cement. 

Mr Masiyane said the locally produced cement’s prices were high because of the high production costs but the local product was of high quality.

Government in 2016 went out of its way to protect local industry and promote consumption of local products hence it promulgated S164 of 2016. 

It is industry’s unethical business conduct which forced Government to lift the ban on imports.

Manufacturers working in cahoots with retailers were creating artificial shortages in order to increase prices of commodities thereby fleecing consumers.

Government was left with no option but to lift the imports ban in order to protect consumers. 

We have said it before that we do not want Zimbabwe to remain a retailing nation but it should instead produce the bulk of the commodities it consumes.

Increased production by local industries does not only guarantee employment for locals but also saves the much needed foreign currency being spent on imports. 

We however want to implore industry to strive to meet demand and also ensure the prices are affordable.

Government’s desire is to have most of the products consumed in the country produced locally and it will definitely protect local industry once it is satisfied that the manufacturers now have the capacity and are correctly pricing their products. 

The prevailing profiteering by both manufacturers and retailers through charging exorbitant prices should stop forthwith.