Minister faces downtown rot | Business Times

SITHENI NLEYA

 

Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sithembiso Nyoni this week came face to face with the rot in downtown Harare where millions of dollars are exchanging hands while refugees are flouting the country’s rules operating shops and dabbling in money laundering.

As reported last month by the Business Times, refugees have flooded downtown Harare   and operating tuck-shops as now exposed by Nyoni’s visit where she also witnessed a lot of illegalities that have also affected established retail outlets.

It also emerged that those involved in business in downtown Harare are selling counterfeit goods described by health experts as a health hazard.

Nyoni quizzed immigration officials, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and other government workers on why foreigners were being allowed to operate in a sector reserved for locals with the officials taking turns to accuse each other.

It also emerged during the tour that the illegal operators were fueling exchange rate and refusing local currency while preferring the United States dollar.

The move, Nyoni said, has affected workers, mainly civil servants who are paid in local currency.

“We have to try and prevent a shadow economy,” she said.

“Everyone in business must operate openly and nobody should operate in the shadows. We have one system that everyone understands but some traders do not have swipe machines and only accept United States dollars meaning Zimbabweans who are paid in local currency cannot access the goods and services.”

The Minister also established that most of the goods flooding the downtown market were not up to standard.

Responding to the Minister’s queries on why unregulated goods were finding their way into the local market, Regional Inspector of Trade Measures Harare Metropolitan Province, Tawedzerwa Muwani, said they are working to better improve communication amongst all stakeholders to avoid importations of products that are not allowed within the country.

Despite calls for the government to have the market dominated by local products through the Buy Zimbabwe campaign. It emerged during the tour that most of the products on the market were foreign.

“We must understand why the price of the formal trader is more than the informal trader and once we understand you try and create a dialogue where you bridge the gap,” she said.

The issue of unlicensed traders has become a nightmare for established retailers who are now competing with the illegal operations.

 

 

Related