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Business Reporters
THE consumer watchdog, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe wants companies failing to produce quality and competitive goods to shut down.
CCZ wants companies such as Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries to be shut down as they are failing to meet demand.

The consumer supervisory body chairman Mr Phillip Bvumbe told a joint Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce and Ministry of Industry and Commerce breakfast that the car maker should be closed.

Mr Bvumbe said industry must raise its quality standards so that consumers may identify with their products.

“As long as you (industry) cannot produce products that can compete with foreign products, please shut down,” said Mr Bvumbe.

He said that the car maker WMMI is failing to supply vehicles required for the outreach programme on the Consumer Protection Bill.

“We were given money by the minister to purchase vehicles for the outreach programme for the Consumer Protection Bill. Willowvale Mazda Motor Industry cannot produce the vehicles on time. They are telling us that the vehicles will only be ready next year in March,” said Mr Bvumbe.

“So should we wait until next year when Nissan has the vehicles available? They must shut down,” he added.

CCZ will soon embark on a consultative process to solicit for input from members of the public on the newly launched Consumer Protection Bill.

The Bill will be extended to cover e-services.

Once enacted into law, the Consumer Protection Act will allow the formation of consumer associations that deal with specific issues across all sectors and establish a fund for national consumer organisations’ operations.

Eight regional consultative workshops will be held during the next three to four months, which will culminate in an all stakeholders consultative forum.

The input from the consultative forums will be collated and submitted to the Industry and Commerce Minister, who will pass the input to the Attorney General’s office for consideration.

A Consumer Court and a Consumer Protection Commission will be established once the new law is passed.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Zimbabwe Poultry and Livestock Association Mr Solomon Zawe told the same meeting that since the beginning of the year there has been a rise in livestock products into the country.

“We have seen a rise in livestock products such as sausage and chicken from South America which we suspect are repackaged in South Africa, live cattle from Botswana/Namibia, bream fish (tilapia) from China competing against Kariba bream, offals of beef, chicken, sheep and goats,” said Mr Zawe.