Zimbabwe lifts ban on imported foodstuffs

The Zimbabwean government has temporarily repealed a statute that bans the importation of a range of foodstuffs, in a move welcomed by consumers, but condemned by food manufacturers.

The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services in that country, Monica Mutsvangwa, said the decision was taken to combat high food prices and food shortages that resulted from panic-buying.

“The continuing increases in prices effectively push the commodities beyond the reach of many of our people,” she said.

Consumers can now import duty-free animal oils and fats, baked beans, cereals, cheese, coffee creams, cooking oil, crude soya bean oil, fertiliser, wheat flour, jams, juice blends, margarine, mayonnaise, packaging materials, peanut butter, potato crisps, salad creams, soap, sugar, wheelbarrows, agrochemicals, and livestock feed.

Acute foreign currency shortages and the drastic devaluation of the local ‘surrogate currency’ bonds had necessitated this, Mutsvangwa said.

Local cooking oil manufacturers had, however, expressed their opposition, as the industry had shown signs of recovery following the ban on imported products. – Thulani Mpofu