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Zimbabwe: Govt, Business Agree on Prices
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
26 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Harare
GOVERNMENT and the business community yesterday agreed that business should stick to prices set by the National Incomes and Pricing Commission.
"We agreed that whatever is approved by the NIPC is authentic and should apply always," said Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Mr Callisto Jokonya.
Mr Jokonya was speaking at a news conference at CZI offices after a meeting convened by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, to seek an explanation from business on the recent spate of price increases.
"Our meeting with Government was cordial and it left both parties with no doubt that business, especially formal business, was complying with NIPC prices.
"Manufacturers are producing goods and making deliveries to retailers, but people are buying those goods and selling them above NIPC set prices and we do not have control over that.
"For instance, the NIPC approved the price of bread at about $10,5 million but it is being sold on the informal market at a price of $25 million, that we have no control over.
"We urge Government to use law enforcement agents to deal with the situation because they have the capacity and mandate to do so.
"We are aware that there are challenges in satisfying demand and we are working at addressing these.
"We urge all those manufacturers with raw materials to continue producing and distributing their products through the normal and credible channels," he said.
CZI members, Mr Jokonya said, were guided by a code of ethics and anyone caught on the wrong side of that code would have their membership revoked.
Asked about the fate of senior managers who were arrested after their companies were found overcharging, Mr Jokonya said CZI would only take action when their cases have been concluded at the courts.
The CZI chief said the industrial representative body would take a sober approach and engage the Government on the issue of the arrest of managers.
"As a law-abiding organisation, CZI is calling upon its members to comply with the laws of Zimbabwe, including the respect of and adherence to officially approved pricing of commodities by both the manufacturing and retailing sectors.
"We are fully conscious of and sensitive to the needs of our clientele, our valued customers, our Government and the general Zimbabwean populace.
"CZI will remain persistent in its engagement strategy with all stakeholders for the good of the economy and we remain positive that relations between Government and the business community will develop into mutual trust and confidence for the benefit of our country," he said.
President Mugabe has been warning businesses against unjustifiable price increases.
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On Monday, he told a rally in Hwange that the Government and business would meet yesterday to discuss prices.
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