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Munyaradzi Musiiwa and Lovemore Zigara
LOCAL industry has lamented the continued smuggling of cheap products into the country which has impacted negatively on local companies.

To counter that, Government enacted Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 which removed products which can be manufactured locally from the general import licence to give room to local industry to replace antiquated equipment to improve competitiveness with foreign products.

Some products are, however, still finding their way into the country through the country’s porous ports of entry.

General manager for Sino Zimbabwe Cement Company, Mr Derrick Moyo said there has been an influx of cheap cement from South Africa and Mozambique.

He said this has taken its toll on the company as the foreign product is cheaper, since it is being smuggled into the country.

“Something should be done about these porous borders because we are losing a lot of business to the foreign products which are coming into the country illegally. There is need for a holistic approach from all players if we are to curb the illegal imports into the country,” he said.

Bata managing director Mr Ehsan Zaman said there is need to punish those found selling smuggled products.