Local firms hail gazetting of SI89
LOCAL companies have hailed the gazetting of Statutory Instrument 89 of 2021 allowing local businesspeople to import sugar and cement under their own licences.
A campaign promoting the use of local goods and services, Buy Zimbabwe, feels the Open General Import Licence (OGIL) Statutory Instrument SI89 of 2021, which was gazetted on April 2, was a step in the right direction.
In a statement, Buy Zimbabwe marketing and communications officer, Runyararo Muronda applauded the new setup.
“The introduction of SI89 will not only benefit the companies in these industries, but will also benefit companies in the respective value chains thereby supporting the local content strategy, which has been adopted by the Government in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
“The statutory instrument was gazetted at a time when cement and sugar companies have ramped up production and created more than adequate capacity to meet local demand and even export requirements,” said Muronda.
Muronda said importers will now get certified through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
“As Buy Zimbabwe we applaud this move by Government, which is aimed at promoting the produce local and buy local campaign.
“Under the new regulations importers are now required to get import licenses from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for the two commodities,” she said.
Buy Zimbabwe also said they will remain committed to advocating the consumption of locally-produced goods to reduce dependence on imports.
THE trial of former Health minister David Parirenyatwa failed to start once again yesterday as the magistrate failed to turn up due to ill health.
Parirenyatwa appeared before Harare regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje, who dismissed his application for removal from remand ruling that it didn’t make sense to remove him from remand as there was hope and belief that trial would resume once trial magistrate Elijah Makomo recovered.
On behalf of the State, Brian Vito opposed the application arguing that Makomo hadn’t come to work because he was on sick leave.
“Trial magistrate Makomo didn’t come in today because he is on sick leave and is preparing to go to South Africa for special treatment and will be available on May 14. There are other factors that have also contributed to the delays in finalising the trial. Trials were suspended the whole of last year due to Covid-19 so it’s difficult to place the blame on one party today. The trial lawyer Mlotshwa is not available as well,” he said.
Innocent Chingarande on the other hand argued on behalf of Parirenyatwa that the matter had been postponed over ten times and the State would suffer no prejudice if they removed his client from remand as he is a respectable member of the society who could be summoned whenever the State is ready to proceed.
Parirenyatwa is accused of criminal abuse of office after he allegedly directed NatPharm board chairman George Washaya to terminate Flora