By Christopher Makaza
Consumers countrywide have welcomed Government`s decision to remove import duty on maize grain, maize meal and wheat flour in an effort to cushion consumers and counter the effects of drought that was experienced during the 2018/19 agricultural season.
During the presentation of the 41st Cabinet Decision Matrix in Harare yesterday, Cabinet said, “Government will be unveiling the mechanism for targeted subsidies for basic foodstuffs, particularly maize meal as outlined per 2020 Budget Statement once the finer details are worked out. This is intended as an additional cushion for vulnerable households and the generality of Zimbabweans.
“Cabinet therefore wishes to assure the nation that all measures possible will continue to be taken in-order to ease the challenges of accessing food by all Zimbabweans,” the Cabinet resolved.
Speaking to The Harare Post on the development, Mr Elvis Muchena from Mbare said the move will go a long way in addressing the issue of affordability and availability of the basic commodities on the local market.
“We appreciate this noble gesture by Government. Maize meal and flour in particular were no longer affordable for many of us yet we need them on daily basis. Imagine a 10kg of maize meal in retail shops is going for more than $70 and a 2kg of flour now costs around $50, this is beyond the reach of many. The move by Government to exempt duty on these items will definitely stabilize or reduce their prices,” he said.
Vendors in the CBD who rely on selling home backed buns and bread said their business was on the verge of collapsing as they could no longer afford the high costs of wheat flour and the new development came as a relief for them.
“As you can see our daily business is baking and selling these buns and bread and our major raw material is wheat flour which we buy from local retailers. The high cost of wheat flour had threatened our businesses; our profit margins had been greatly reduced leaving us with no option but to close business. This development will definitely make our business rebound, we want to thank our Government for coming to our rescue,” said one vendor Tendai Chokore.
