Zimpapers Logo

Yeukai Karengezeka, Harare Bureau

GOVERNMENT has gazetted regulations suspending the payment of customs duty on the importation of flour and mealie-meal for the next six months.

The regulations are contained in Statutory Instrument 247 of 2019, titled Customs and Excise (Suspension) (Amendment) Regulations,2019 (No.223) and were approved by Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube.

“It is hereby notified that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development has, in terms of section 235 as read with section 120 of the Customs and Excise Act (chapter23:02), made the following regulations:

“These regulations may be cited as the Customs and Excise (Suspension)(Amendment) Regulations,2019 (No.223).

“The Customs and Excise (Suspension) Regulsations, 2003, published in Statutory Instrument 257 of 2003 (hereinafter called “the principal regulations”) are amended by the insertion of section 91 “Suspension of duty on wheat flour and maize meal,” reads part of SI 247.

The suspension of customs duty payment came into effect on November 22 and will be valid until May 21, 2020.

For bulk wheat flour it has to be packed in quantities of 50kg.

Wheat flour meant for resell has to be packed in 50kg or less.

Earlier this week, Government also scrapped import permits and licences for grain, maize meal and wheat flour to plug supply gaps and counter the effects of drought experienced in the last agricultural season.

The move is meant to cushion the milling industry and ease the burden on consumers.

This week President Mnangagwa said Government had re-introduced the subsidies on mealie-meal and rice after they had been scrapped off in 2020 National Budget presented by Minister Ncube early this month.