By Rudo Saungweme
Heartless and selfish Zimbabwean businesspersons are dwelling much on profiteering, robbing their fellow citizens’ hard earned cash in pursuit of super profits. Whilst some are economic saboteurs who are hiking prices to frustrate efforts by Government for their own nefarious agendas.
The ED administration is alive to all these machinations and is putting measures in place to alleviate the suffering of the people whilst at the same time avoiding price controls by letting market forces determine prices of basic goods and services, a development which is being abused by manufacturers and retailers.
To alleviate transport challenges Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is buying buses so as to curtail the challenges brought by omnibuses operators who continue to hike prices willy-nilly. Some of the buses which will be coming from Belarus were secured through President Emmerson Mnangagwa`s engagements and re-engagements efforts.
President Mnangagwa reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring people are not exploited by greedy businesspersons. During his Independence Day speech, President Mnangagwa said that Government will remain committed to addressing distortions in all sectors of the economy. “We have made an upward review of producer prices of maize, soya beans, wheat and cotton. Wheat supplies are set to improve, while the establishment of small-scale bakeries will be facilitated to enhance more affordable bread prices”.
Some bakeries have just decided to hike the prices of bread, without justification, this is evidenced by some bread producers who are still maintaining old bread prices. However President Mnangagwa has indicated that he will never tire of ensuring that all the basic commodities are made cheaply available to everyone.
President Mnangagwa also highlighted that the setting up of Silo Foods Company will further see increased availability and affordability of many basic commodities throughout the country.
A glimpse of the price madness currently obtaining is telling in itself. A blame game has erupted between manufacturers and retailers, each part blaming the other of the price madness. This indiscriminate increase of prices has brought about untold suffering to Zimbabweans whose salaries has remained the same or slightly increased.
President Mnangagwa continues to blast this behaviour indicating that the conduct by stakeholders in business, industry and commerce is inhumane, unethical, and unpatriotic and goes against the grain of economic dialogue which the Second Republic has espoused.
President Mnangagwa said that the Government remains determined to restore the purchasing power of all workers.
The efforts by Government to revive Cold Storage Company (CSC) will also see the price of beef which is now beyond the reach of many, decreasing. Government is increasing financial support towards the procurement of essential vaccines against high impact diseases that affects livestock production. Recently, the Government deployed over 60 veterinary doctors countrywide so that they deal with diseases that affect our livestock. These measures will lead to increased livestock production thereby getting rid of all businesses that are profiteering.
Production on ARDA farms will continue to be increased with the parastatal focusing more on value addition and exports.
Government will continue to ensure the country attain a middle income economy by 2030 despite efforts by the country’s detractors to de-rail the noble effort by manipulating the public to rise against its government.
