Government strengthens consumer protection measures

GOVERNMENT has intensified measures to monitor product quality, pricing and trade facilitation to ensure that the consumer is protected from unscrupulous retailers bent on swindling them.

Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza, made these remarks while officially opening a strategic planning workshop in Kwekwe on Wednesday where she stressed the need to improve customer relations and enhance respect for consumer rights.

This comes amid calls by consumers for businesses to further cut prices in keeping with the stable macro-economic fundamentals and reduced cost of doing business.

Given the continued drop in fuel prices, exchange rate convergence and easing of inflationary pressures in response to comprehensive fiscal and monetary policy steps being implemented by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, businesses have no reason to maintain distorted prices.

“Gone are the days of putting mark on prices of over 200 percent as eventually you will price yourself out of the market,” said Dr Nzenza.

“I, therefore, urge the private sector to ensure that they balance between profitability and sustainable business models.

“The ministry will continue to work with industry to ensure that the interest of both business and consumers is protected.”

The minister said consumers should be equipped on how to seek redress in cases they feel unfairly treated, adding that a consumer should also be able to get what they would have paid for.

“Government will continue monitoring the prices of the basic commodities so that prices will not increase willy-nilly. This is so that we advocate on behalf of the consumer so that they get value for money,” she said.
Dr Nzenza reiterated the importance of competition in the market saying this was critical in facilitating fair pricing and ensuring that consumers get the best services.

“The Government continues creating an enabling and conducive environment for private sector to operate in.
“This is so that we create competition, which is so critical for the consumer both in terms of prices and quality of products,” she said.

“In this line, the Government continues to develop investment incentives that will help attract both domestic and foreign direct investment.”

Dr Nzenza implored the private sector to ensure that they put in place strategies to remain competitive at both local and regional and international markets.

“The ministry will continue to render its support to industry for retooling and modernisation programme through capacitation of our value chains to achieve the desired level of economic growth and employment creation,” she said.

To help promote competitiveness, the ministry has developed the National Quality Policy that will address the challenges that have existed from the silo development of quality programmes by ministries, regulations and agencies.-chroncie.clz.w