Shocking: Agriculture Ministry Officials Raid Retail Outlets
This operation, according to Masanga, is set to expand to other provinces.
Shocking: Agriculture Ministry Officials Raid Retail Outlets
In a move that has left citizens and local businesses gobsmacked, officials from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development swooped down on Spar Supermarket at Fife Avenue Shopping Centre in Harare. Their mission? To confiscate several trolleys of Snowflake self-raising flour, allegedly smuggled in from South Africa.
Senior agricultural economist, Mr Simbarashe Masanga, justified the raid, stating that businesses must obtain import permits to operate within the law.
“We cannot issue permits for these products because we know there's a substantial amount of flour in the country, with many local brands that can compete easily. However, the illegal nature of these products creates unfair competition as they do not pay duty,” Masanga explained.
Shocking: Agriculture Ministry Officials Raid Retail Outlets
He further mentioned that the ministry occasionally conducts such raids to maintain order in the agricultural marketing sector. This operation, according to Masanga, is set to expand to other provinces. Businesses caught selling goods without import permits face a hefty fine of US$1,100.
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The real kicker? The officials bypassed numerous illegal shops that have taken over Harare's CBD and headed straight for a law-abiding, tax-paying retail chain branch. Talk about priorities!
Due to porous borders and ineffective monitoring systems, the Zimbabwean market is flooded with cheap imitations and smuggled goods that are not approved. Efforts to curb this have proven futile as enforcement has been ineffective due to corruption and involvement of politically-linked actors.
