The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga, Senior Business Reporter
BUY Zimbabwe is set to step up its marketing campaign next year as part of its effort to assist in further reducing the country’s import bill which stands at around $2 billion, an official said.
In an interview with Sunday Business on Friday, Buy Zim chief executive officer Mr Munyaradzi Hwengwere said since the inception of the campaign in 2011, the message to promote the purchasing of locally produced goods has been embraced and this year the Government put in place measures to support local production.
He, however, said more needed to be done to attain the campaign’s five-year target of equilibrium between exports and imports.
“Our campaign has been premised on the fact that you cannot create wealth and jobs when you are buying from other countries than yourselves. Drastic measures need to be taken to reduce the import bill,” said Mr Hwengwere.
He said the Government was dealing decisively with assisting the industry by introducing local policies like the Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 which restricts importation of certain goods that can be produced locally as well as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s import priority programme.
“This year saw more companies like Nestle and Irvines among others beginning to use the Buy Zim insignia to also supplement the Government’s efforts in promoting the acceptance of local products at the expense of foreign goods,” Mr Hwengwere said.
He said both the Government and the private sector should get the nation to rally around buying locally produced goods further stating that companies should invest in promoting local products by spending resources in communicating with consumers.
“Our problem at the moment is that we are not communicating a primary message together, we cannot continue with business as usual but double our efforts in marketing the local products. The campaign must be seen on the streets and not confined to boardroom talks,” said Mr Hwengwere adding that consumers should see the benefits of the message rather than having it imposed on them.
According to economic analysts, buying local products means nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources sustainably, employ local workers and serve primarily local consumers. It also means becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports.
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries says the local industry was showing signs of revival although analysts feel there is a need for local manufacturers to produce more variety of products so as to boost production levels to encourage competition and, consequently, a reduction in commodity prices.
