THE Ministry of Industry and Commerce has said more impromptu inspections will be carried out to ensure businesses comply with regulations.
These inspections are a crucial part of maintaining a well-regulated environment and safeguarding public interests, while the goal is to verify compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, identify potential issues and ultimately foster a thriving business sector.
In an interview, Ministry of Industry and Commerce Communications and Advocacy Deputy Director, Mr Coline Dzavakwa said the unannounced inspections were part of the crackdown on smuggling, while over 3 000 businesses have been inspected.
“The Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Zimbabwe in collaboration with other Government agencies continues to take significant steps to combat business malpractice in a bid to ensure consumers are protected and fair trade practices are prompted,” he said. “To date, a cumulative total of 3 779 businesses have been inspected, 419 prosecutions finalised, 402 compliance notices issued and 4 816 goods were seized. ”He said the statistics shows the need for prosecutions of offenders exploiting consumers through unfair practices, such as selling counterfeit products, underweight goods and multi-tier pricing poor labelling among a host of other unfair dealings.
Mr Dzavakwa said those found guilty face legal action and some have already been taken to court “This is a warning to those found on the wrong side of the law The Ministry is enforcing the Consumer Protection Act (2019), which safeguards consumers’ rights and ensures businesses adhere to fair and ethical business practice,” he added.
“These are some of the measures implemented to protect local businesses under the Zimbabwe Industrial Reconstruction and Growth Plan (ZIRGP) which runs from October 2024 to December 2025. ”The ZIGRP is a transitional plan, crafted to bridge the gap between the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 1 (ZNIDP1) that ended in December 2023 and the upcoming ZNIDP2 (2026 to 2030).
He called on consumers who feel short-changed to contact hotlines of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) on 0719768856 or Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) on 0776372295.
