BY KUNASHE MUKANDE AND MIRIAM ZVOMUYA
The Zimbabwe Cross Border Traders Association (ZCBTA) has urged the government to temporarily suspend Statutory Instrument (SI) 64 of 2016 and relax other associated taxes to ease price increases.
While addressing a press conference today, the secretary general of the ZCBTA, Mr Augustine Tawanda reiterated that there is a serious shortage of basic commodities in the country which is causing panic buying to the consumers and in turn the market is responding by hiking prices of basic commodities.
Mr Tawanda articulated that “this situation happened in 2008 hyper- inflation era but was addressed by the relaxation of import duties which allowed the cross borders to import goods and alleviated hunger”.
Although several theories have been put in place in attempting to address the situation, it was also discovered that the problem was caused by local retailers and producers who are pegging their prices against the United States Dollar rate which is ever changing, it is indeed that Zimbabweans are experiencing the shortage of basic commodities which is causing the increasing levels of poverty and hunger.
“The government should urgently suspend statutory instrument 64 sand relax other duties and taxes so that the Zimbabwe cross boarders can import the basic commodities and flood the market thus stabilises prices”, said Augustine Tawanda.