Adhere to standards & ensure affordability, PPE firms told
THE Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sekai Nzenza, has directed manufacturers and importers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to subject their products to standards certification while urging consumers to be vigilant when buying to ensure products are certified.
In light of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in the country, there has been an increased demand and need for PPE to mitigate and control the effects of the disease. At the same time this also brings to the fore the need to ensure affordability and availability of compliant protective equipment against the disease in order to adequately protect the consumers at various levels.
The Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) has been mandated with the conformity assessment (CA) procedures to attest compliance through laboratory testing and certification of Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as per the gazetted standards. This applies for both manufactured and imported PPE.
Government, through Statutory Instrument 92 of 2020 gazetted mandatory standards applicable to manufacturers and stockists/ suppliers of PPE to ensure adequate protection and mitigation of the spread of Covid-19 for frontline health workers, patients and the general consumers.
The standards are de-alienated to the quality required for their various applications of PPE for frontline health workers, patients and the general public.
In an interview, Dr Nzenza stated that: “It’s important to ensure that the consumer is not only adequately protected by standards compliant PPE but also gets value for money in procurement of protective equipment. Noncompliant PPE potentially puts the consumers net proceeds from the sales for investment in the construction of a solar power plant to supply electricity to Blanket Mine in Zimbabwe,” reads the statement.
Caledonia chief executive officer, Mr Steve Curtis, has said the miner was looking at investing in a Solar PV plant, which could supply Blanket’s baseload demand during peak sunlight hours.
This was as a result of incessant power outages back then.
As a stop gap measure Blanket Mine was relying on a back-up generator with about 12,5 megawatts (MW).
At 12,5MW, the generator can run the entire mine at full capacity.
The mine had also invested in another 6MW diesel generator to guarantee power supply.
Meanwhile, Caledonia described its Blanket Mine production performance in the last quarter as an outstanding achievement, with at the risk of Covid-19.”
While a number of companies have subjected their products to SAZ certification the ministry has said that those falling short were working closely with the standards body to apply corrective measures. Dr Nzenza called on manufacturers and retailers of PPE to apply equitable pricing to ensure affordability of available protection to the consumers.
In this regard, she said that collaborative efforts were in place with key stakeholders including the Competition and Tariff Commission and Consumer Council of Zimbabwe. In a snap market survey, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said it noted that disposable masks (3 ply masks) prices ranged from US$0,50 to US$1 per single mask while re-usable masks cost US$1 to US$2,50 per single mask and are readily available in all pharmacies. The N95 type range from US$3 to US$5. The pricing is primarily influenced by the fact that the market is relying to a greater extent on imports. gold output rising 6,2 percent at 13 499 ounces in the three months ended June 30, 2020.
It marked production for the first half of 2020 at 27 732 ounces, up 12,5 percent versus the same period last year.
“The production of 13 499 ounces in the second quarter is an outstanding achievement given the challenges faced during the quarter as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic,” said Mr Curtis.
“For production to be 12,5 percent ahead of the corresponding 2019 level at the half-year stage leaves us well placed for the full year and on track to meet our full-year guidance of 53 000 to 56 000 ounces.
“This strong performance and high gold prices have ensured that the business remains on a very solid foundation as we prepare for the next phase of our growth with the completion of the central shaft in 2020 and increased production to 80 000 ounces by 2022.”
As part of the country’s Local Content Strategy, the ministry has said it is conducting a gap analysis in order to facilitate for import substitution of the products and support local production of PPE. Dr Nzenza has also urged private companies to accelerate the import substitution programme by utilising available raw materials to innovate and replace imported PPE.
Businesses directed to quote prices in US$/ZWL$ at prevailing rate
GOVERNMENT has gazetted a law requiring all businesses operating in the country to display or quote the prices of goods and services in Zimbabwe dollar and foreign currency at the ruling exchange rate.
Last week, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Dr John Mangudya said there were some businesses that had not taken heed of the directive to display or quote their prices in Zimbabwe dollar and foreign currency at the prevailing exchange rate.
In a Government Gazette released last Friday, the Government said:
“The Exchange Control (Exclusive Use of Zimbabwe dollar for Domestic Transactions) Regulations, 2019, published in Statutory Instrument 212 of 2019 are amended by the insertion of the following section after Section 6.
“Dual pricing and displaying, quoting and offering of prices for goods and services.
“Any person who provides goods or services in Zimbabwe shall display, quote or offer the price for such goods or services in both Zimbabwe dollar and foreign currency at the ruling exchange rate.”
Therefore, any person who contravenes the amendments shall be liable to: category 1 civil penalty if the contravention is completed but irremediable; or category 4 civil penalty if the contravention is a continuing one. — @ okazunga