Gvt warns cement importers against transferring permits

The government through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has implored members of the public that the cement import permits issued belong to the licence holders & are not to be resold or transferred over to any other party.

The Ministry called on the public to report; in the event that they come across individuals or entities reselling or transferring these permits.

Zimbabwe has of late experiencing cement shortage, this had a negative impact on the construction sector, as property developers were now paying significantly more for cement, which is a key input.

The sharp increase in cement prices had been exacerbated by the expiry of import licences issued earlier, which has widened the supply gap.

Government has been issuing import licences to cement producers to allow them to bridge the gap between local production and demand.

However, many of the import licences had expired, leading to a decrease in imports and a further tightening of supply.

To address the shortage, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni said Government had moved in swiftly and started issuing new import licences, while manufacturers sort out their maintenance issues to restore normal production and bring down prices.

In terms of the law, dealers caught importing cement without licences risk being fined.

Zwnews