USD payments take gloss off roller meal sales
TEETHING problems, among them retailers’ failure to accept electronic payments and political interference, are rocking the subsidised roller meal door-to-door selling programme.
While retailers had pledged to accept all forms of payments for the roller-meal that is pegged at $70 for a 10kg bag, The Manica Post has established that some of their unscrupulous employees are demanding payments in unsoiled bond notes and United States dollars only.
Coins are not being accepted.
The retailers are charging US$2 for a 10kg bag. Those who had hoarded the roller meal are selling it for anything between US$3 and US$5.
This has been reported in Mutare’s residential areas that include Chikanga, Dangamvura, Hob-House, Sakubva and Zimta Park.
In some instances, the sales people are lying to residents that another vehicle accepting electronic forms of payments will follow later.
Politicians are also reported to have hijacked the programme and directing the retailers to areas of their choice to sell the roller meal.
However, it is a different story in Rusape, where those behind the programme are accepting all forms of payments.
Big Byte Groceries director, Mr Resistance Mundembe said they are doing all they could to ensure that the programme continues to run smoothly despite the numerous challenges they have been encountering.
He said since retailers do not have swipe machines for the exercise, they have resorted to accepting mobile money, cash and US dollar payments.
However, the EcoCash and OneMoney platforms are also being overwhelmed as the retailers do not have adequate agent lines.
“We are still facing a lot of challenges in accepting mobile money payments since our lines are limited, but we are working on rectifying the issue. With regards to US dollar payments, the roller meal is pegged at US$2. “We are dispatching three vehicles to ensure
that we do not delay the process. However since it takes longer to serve people using mobile money and bond notes, some opt to buy using foreign currency,” he claimed.
Family First Choice Supermarkets director, Mr Simbarashe Charamba said illegal foreign currency dealers are taking advantage of the situation to offer higher mobile money rates to residents holding foreign currency.
“This is causing problems for retailers when they then fail to provide the option of paying though mobile money payment platforms,” he said.
Besides the payment hurdles, for the past week retailers have not taken any deliveries of the subsidised roller meal from millers, thereby throwing spanners on the programme.
Mr Charamba said since the programme started, only Mega Market was constantly supplying the product, while other millers are only supplying big supermarkets that are not part of the door-to-door programme.
“For now, we have stopped. We are waiting for the millers to give us the product so that we resume the programme. We have been receiving calls from residents who want to buy roller meal. They are saying they are now being ripped off by those who had hoarded the roller meal, which is now being sold for anything between US$3 and 5 for a 10kg bag.
“We engaged the taskforce and the industry representatives and they have promised to resolve the matter,” he said, adding that when the program resumes, there are plans to include sugar on the door-to-door sales.
Mr Charamba said the retailers are expecting to take delivery of sugar next week on Monday.
Mutare District Covid-19 chairperson, Mr Wilson Boore said despite the challenges, the door-to-door selling programme has yielded positive results.
“The programme has been going on well. More retailers have joined. Although we are yet to get more millers who will supply the product, we are confident that the programme will work. We are hoping that as the biggest player, National Foods will increase supply to the retailers in our programme,” he said.
Mr Boore revealed that Wealthbird Supermarkets is covering Mutare’s low-density areas and Penhalonga.
Odzi, Arda Transau and Chitakatira are being covered by Rollben Enterprises, while Munakamwe is serving Fern-Valley, Zimunya and parts of Chimanimani.
Mega Family Choice has been allocated the Nyanga market and part of Mutasa.
Mr Boore said other retailers, including Millers’ Pride, Mega Foods and Mwamuka Butchery and Grocery, are yet to be allocated areas to operate from.
“The plan is that every district in the province should be covered.
“The provincial taskforce is working with these retailers to ensure that they coordinate their activities and cover all the areas efficiently,” he said.