The Sunday News
Mandla Moyo, Business Reporter
PLAYERS in the corrugated paper packaging industry are spending millions of dollars towards importing the strategic raw material owing to the non-availability of a waste paper milling plant in the country, an official said.
Alpha Packaging Private Limited managing director Mr Wilson Chinyamunga said there was a need to court investors to inject capital into paper recycling business following the closure of the country’s only paper milling plant over two decades ago.
“We are actually sending out of the country paper waste to make pulp for the production of paper in South Africa, that is going to make paper, which is later resold into Zimbabwe because the only mill that used to make this type of paper used in the corrugated industry, Hunyani (Paper and Packaging Private Limited) closed over 20 years ago,” he said.
Hunyani was forced to shut down its plant due to constant breakdowns and failure to raise over US$1 million for the refurbishment and replacement of obsolete machinery.
A number of companies such as Hunyani and Alpha Packaging import the packaging material from South Africa.
“Hunyani as well as new companies such as Alpha Packaging are all importing paper. We are also exporting the recycled paper, which is produced by the National Waste Paper. In light of that there is a need for potential investors to take up this opportunity and set up a mill. As it is our packaging is expensive because we are not competing on the same level with maybe South Africa. It’s cheaper to buy a box from South Africa than to buy from here if you include all your costs,” said Mr Chinyamunga. He said companies were spending over US$500 000 a year on imports.
