Vice President Kembo Mohadi has today, revealed a decision by stakeholders that prices should revert to the 25th of March 2020.
This follows a meeting between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce with stakeholders including the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ), Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Association (CZR), National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe (NBAZ), Oil Expressors Association of Zimbabwe, National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe, Oil Expressors Association of Zimbabwe, National Foods and Zimbabwe Sugar Sales among others.
Mohadi said, “There was a general agreement amongst the multi-sectoral meeting partners that the price increase, particularly during the lockdown, was speculative and unjustified.”
“The multi-sectoral stakeholders committed to a price moratorium to operate to operate based on the prices which were applicable on the 25th of March.”
Zimbabwe’s Vice President revealed that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in partnership with the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) has been continuously monitoring the food basket costs.
He also acknowledged that the country has been experiencing escalating food prices which is increasingly making it difficult for the consumer to afford basic commodities.
“When His Excellency, the President E D Mnangagwa announced the lockdown, price skyrocketed generating increasing difficulties for the general public to access food items such as bread, sugar, cooking oil, mealie meal and flour,” he said.
“In a survey done by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the value of the consumer basket as at 7 February 2020 was ZWL$4 656 but 11 April 2020 the same amounted to ZWL$6 660.84.”
Voices of Consumers Zimbabwe president Panashe Makufa had earlier on said if the government would not intervene on prices things were going to be worse for consumers.
Makufa said the service providers are taking advantage of the lockdown to overprice consumers.
“It’s sad to note that, this is the situation nationwide from Supermarkets, Pharmacies, Telecommunication Companies, Gas Refueling Companies among others,” he said.