Bimha to tour Boom plant

INDUSTRY and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha will next month tour Trade Kings Zimbabwe to assess the progress that has been made to date in setting up a Boom detergents plant.

The project is a five-year $50 million investment that is fast approaching the completion of construction and installation of the first phase which includes the detergent powder and paste plants.

This is contrary to earlier reports which had indicated that the plant is set for commissioning.

Meanwhile Zimbabwe will, from now, monitor the impact of some policy measures introduced this year aimed at halting wanton influx of cheap imported products which has been affecting the local industry. In that regard, a Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, which will among other issues, monitor the impact of the measures on the manufacturing sector and the economy as a whole.

Members of the committee were announced on Wednesday by Minister Bimha.

Minister Bimha said the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee has been set up following the decision to remove products from the Open General Import Licence through gazetting of several Statutory Instruments. SI64 restricted the importation of 42 products into Zimbabwe.

The committee has been set up to evaluate the impact of SI64 on prices and monitor re-tooling taking place in various economic sectors. Apart from monitoring prices and re-tooling, the committee will also look at growth or increase in capacity utilisation and monitor production levels of companies in various sectors.

“The Monitoring and Evaluation Committee will also evaluate efficiencies of companies, consider value chains developed, assess backward and forward linkages created, monitor the impact on quality of products produced, monitor SME graduation and encourage exports of surplus products,” said Minister Bimha.

Mr Michael Nyabadza from Lesaffre (Pvt) Ltd will chair the MEC, deputised by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries chief economist Dephine Mazambani.

The committee is comprised of technical experts and officials from various organisations that include the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Buy Zimbabwe, Standards Association of Zimbabwe, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, ZimTrade, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Knowledge Transfer Africa, SMEs and representatives of the Industry and Commerce Ministry.

The measures are aimed at controlling imports ranging from white petroleum jellies, body lotions, coffee creamers, camphor creams and builders’ wares. Products such as builders’ wares include wheelbarrows, structures and parts of structures of iron or steel, bridges and bridge sections, lock gates, lattice masts, roof frameworks and doors.