Editorial Comment: Monitoring standards of imports a positive move

12 Apr, 2015 - 00:04 0 Views

The Sunday News

WHEN the country officially adopted the use of foreign currency around 2009, the move was seen as the ultimate medicine to deal with economic problems that the nation had gone through during the hyperinflationary era.
Many people celebrated the moment, praising it as a turning point which was to help them with the buying power to purchase most basic goods, most of which had completely disappeared from the formal shops when the economy was under relentless battering from sanctions that were tightened by mainly European countries.

The foreign currency use triggered an influx of many goods into the country resulting in most shops re-gaining their selves with shelves filled with different goods.

Most of these goods were, however, not manufactured locally but imported from all over the globe, some from as far as Brazil and Japan as businesses seen as enterprising then, sought for cheap source markets that could supply into Zimbabwe.

However, as many people made merry in the newly found happiness, the country somehow deliberately or otherwise turned a blind eye on how most of these goods were finding their way to the people.

The blind eye was not only on the issue of how the goods were coming in but nothing or little was done to ensure whether these goods were of the right standard.

However, it is gratifying that Government, although coming a bit late, has moved in to plug this problem.
It is better late than never, so they say.

Government has contracted Bureau Beritas, an international testing, inspecting and certification company that will ensure that all goods coming into Zimbabwe are of the required standards.

Many were now turning Zimbabwe into a dumping site where all types of goods from food to electricals such as fake cellphones found their way.
The problem was not helped either by our porous borders where numerous cases of corruption were reported as some of these companies and individuals bribed officials to smuggle the goods.

Up to today the country cannot quantify the health problems that could have resulted from some of these goods but certainly many people were exposed to foodstuffs and goods that could have harmed their health.

Some of the effects might be of a longer term and might take time to manifest but some were quickly seen like the coming in of creams and many other concoctions, some that have already harmed people’s skins.

Unfortunately, this problem seems to have grown over the years with more goods coming into the country with little checks including second hand clothes whose origins are not even known.

The problem has not only been at individual level, but the economy at large with results for all to see.
Many companies have simply retreated and been reduced to being warehouses for some of these goods as they cannot compete with these substandard goods.

The loss is massive and many people have been rendered redundant as these companies simply shut down or scale down.
Director of Standards and Quality Assurance in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Ms Florence Makombe told a meeting in Beitbridge on Friday that with effect from 16 May specified products would require a transitional certificate of Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA).

She said: “We have identified sensitive products that will require certification by Bureau Veritas prior to their importation.”
The new certification, she added, would come with recommendations to manufacturers of these products and should be reviewed within four months.

Targeted products are food and agriculture items, building products, timber, petroleum and fuels, packaging materials, electrical/ electronic, body care and health, automotive and transportation, clothing textiles, engineering equipment and toys.

We hope Government will walk the talk and ensure that this is seriously adhered to. It is time we protect our people and our environment from all sorts of products, some that have been condemned in source countries.

Why should all the dirt be dumped in Zimbabwe? The health of the nation and its people is important not only to this generation but to our sons and daughters’ children too so it is only paramount that we protect it from greedy industrialists who take short cuts just to come and mop our money while dumping sub-standard goods at our doorsteps.

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