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Chiratidzo Mabuwa

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is expected to soon announce a list of selected items that people can import for personal use, the Deputy Minister for Industry and Commerce, Cde Chiratidzo Mabuwa has said.

The Government recently gazetted Statutory Instrument No 64 of 2016 which removes some products from the open general import licence (OGIL) in a development that tightened the screws on the importation of basic commodities including food items, building materials, furniture, toiletries and cooking oil.

In an interview soon after touring Beitbridge Border Post on Monday, Cde Mabuwa said the new law does not bar individuals from importing some items for personal use including beds and building materials.

She said the permits for the importation of basic commodities and building materials as well as furniture were only required from businesses shipping into the country the goods for resale.

“The issue of individuals importing items for personal use is purely administrative which the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is working on and they will soon be announcing a list of the selected items people can bring in for personal use. Some distortions about the new statutory instrument as a ban are unfounded,” she said.

The Deputy Minister said the new law was meant to protect the local industry to create the much needed jobs in the country.

She appealed to Zimbabweans to be patient with the Government’s efforts to revive local industries and the economy.

“We are also working on setting up the National Competiveness Commission which will give impetus on good business practices in the country.

“It is not possible to grow our economy when local businesses are competing with substandard [imported] goods. We can’t be a dumping ground as a nation. We also want to warn businesses who have the privileges to import the much needed products not take advantage and hike prices unnecessarily,” she said.

The Government, Cde Mabuwa said had decentralised the issuance of import permits to regional offices for those who would want to import goods or products that have been removed from the OGIL.

At the moment individual travellers are allowed to bring the following listed goods once per calendar month: Coffee creamers/Cremora — 1kg, Camphor creams, white petroleum jellies and body creams — not exceeding 180ml, cereals — 2kg, potato crisps — 1 pack of 12 of 125g each, baked beans — 1 pack of 12 tins of 340g each, mayonnaise or salad cream — total not exceeding 2 litres, peanut butter — 2kg, jams — 2kg and canned fruits and vegetables — total not exceeding 2kg.

Other items are ice creams — 1 litre , cheese — 1kg, yoghurts — 1kg, shoe polish — 1 pack of 12 of 50 ml or 40g each, juice blends — 4 litres, water — pack of 12 of 500ml each, hair products — 6 packets of hair products of weight not exceeding 1.5kgs, washing powder — 4 kgs and bar soap — box of 24 bars.