The Ministry of Industry and Commerce along with ZIMRA have clarified some new advancements with regards to the import ban. View the changes in the official letter below:

ZIMRA was is said to have reduced in revenue as they now processing 63%  fewer vehicles since the implementation of Statutory Instrument 89 of 2021.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

Let us know in the comment section below.

The post Reprieve for ten year old vehicle importers appeared first on Provoker Magazine.

One of the most focal suggestions being considered is that government should acquire at least 25% of goods and services from local SMEs. A provision for this is already available within the SME policy, however, it is missing from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDPA) Act. This highlights the need for an alignment of the policies as suggested by the SME Association of Zimbabwe.

PRAZ acting chief executive, Mr Clever Ruswa had the following to say with regards to these proposals:

“The authority will be incorporating these amendments as inclusion of SMEs fosters competition by helping more firms to enter the market and helping to grow the market and push innovation”

Among the aforementioned proposals, there have also been others to align the law and the local content strategy to promote acquisition of most goods from local companies. Ruswa commented that the implementation of such propositions will aid in the attainment of better value for money by creating more suppliers which in turn leads to more competition resulting in SME stimulating local benefits.

Other proposals were minor, including the deletion or replacements of some clause or sections.

In working together for the betterment of the economy, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce implemented a Local content Strategy that seeks to ensure that by 2023 local content levels have increased from 20% to 80%. Within this strategy, preference is given to local manufactures over any importers.

PRAZ has met with players in sectors including insurance, health, motor industry, women, youth, sports, art, Information Communication and Technology, tourism and hospitality among others in a bid to facilitate these changes and get further insight from stakeholders.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

Let us know in the comment section.

The post Government considers acquiring goods and services from local SMEs appeared first on Provoker Magazine.

The amendment to the first schedule of the original regulations was made by Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza in Statutory Instrument 89 of 2021 gazetted on Friday. 

It has been realised that many light vehicles with a moderate mileage that are over the ten year mark are usually roadworthy at first but their faults usually escalate rapidly. The challenge then becomes that the vehicle owners and Zimbabwe will face a huge import bill in trying to acquire spare parts for the vehicles.

However, it should be noted that although  it is not yet certain what criteria will be used to determine if an older vehicle can still be imported, this is not a ban but rather a check to ascertain the road-worthiness of imported vehicles.

This measure in which permission to import every light second-hand vehicle over 10 years old is sought out, tallies with the National Development Strategy 1, which highlights the importance of value addition and encourages effective standards, regulations and use of roadworthy vehicles that meet environmental and safety standards.

These licenses for importing cars, motorcycles and light trucks that are older than 10 years can applied for at the offices of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Harare, Mutare, Bulawayo, and Gweru.

Even outside the four older cities, people can contact ministry officials in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Matabeleland South if they have queries. An electronic licensing platform that can be used by importers and exporters has also been established.

Dr Sekai Nzenza clarified that commercial vehicles such as tractors, haulage trucks, earth-moving machines and other vehicles used in the mining and construction sectors will be exempt from this amendment. This means that those importing these commercial vehicles,even if they are older than 10 years, can still do so through the open general import license so that their only paperwork is just the customs clearance.

Vehicles will also still need to be checked for radioactivity if they have been imported from Japan. This was discussed at the National Budget 2020 last year when the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube expressed that due to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant accident it was necessary to check the radioactivity of these vehicles.

Thus far, no vehicles have proved to have been radioactive as noone has sourced vehicles from the Fukushima area for sale in Zimbabwe.

The post 10 year old second-hand car import ban in Zimbabwe clarified appeared first on Provoker Magazine.