TIMB, ZRP urged to arrest corruption Dr Made
Dr Made

Dr Made

Brenda Ziga Herald Reporter
Government has challenged the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) and police to employ measures that curb corruption and underhand dealings during the 2016 tobacco marketing season. Speaking at the official opening of the 2016 tobacco marketing season last week, Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, said the TIMB, police and other security organs should protect tobacco farmers from unscrupulous dealers.

“I am also reliably informed that problems of corruption and illegal sales are quite rampant and are being promoted by some undesirable participants within the tobacco industry who seem to want to see the impairment of the tobacco industry,” he said.

Dr Made said tobacco farmers should work with the TIMB and police to arrest corruption. Reports abound every marketing season that some buyers offer low prices so that farmers withdraw their crop and sell to class B buyers.

TIMB chairperson, Mrs Monica Chinamasa, weighed in saying the industry should protect farmers from some illegal activities at selling points, some of which were perpetrated by internal staff.

“Corruption is draining millions of dollars from the growers. In my view, nothing will unlock the tobacco sector’s potential more than ending the cancer of corruption at the selling points,” she said.

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