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Prosper Dembedza-Herald Correspondent

Smuggling of low-cost imports is jeopardising the resurgence of local businesses.

The clothing retail and wholesale space is currently bombarded by ‘runners’ who are smuggling clothing, home and decor products, hardware goods, shoes, plumbing products and many other items. 

Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) president Denford Mutashu expressed concern over corrupt activities at unofficial entry points, saying it was threatening the country’s economic revival efforts. 

Mr Mutashu called for an inter-ministerial task force to look into rampant smuggling of cheap imports into the country. 

“There has got to be restoration of sanity and plug all these loopholes for the country to realise meaningful development,” he said. “The growing informalisation has also opened up smuggling by providing a safe haven locally. 

“Government should set up an inter-ministerial task force comprising various departments from industry, commerce and private sector players.”

 Confederations of Zimbabwe Industries recently said local industrial capacity use had surpassed 50 percent for the first time in more than two decades, but this is now threatened by rampant smuggling, which has resulted in over 150 000 arrests at borders since January last year. 

Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo is on record as saying that Zimbabwe was losing billions annually to smuggling, while bemoaning rampant corruption at the ports of entry. 

She said they were investigating some Zimra officials and the law enforcement agents at the borders to find out how buses were by-passing the regulations at the borders.