A consignment of 30 000 metric tonnes of wheat which was
sourced from Lithuania by the Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) is
stuck at Beira port in Mozambique after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)
reportedly failed to pay for the vessel.
The vessel, docked at the Beira port two weeks ago, needs
US$12,2 million before it can offload the consignment of wheat. The RBZ has
only managed to pay US$2,5 million to the London-based supplier, Holbud Ltd.
According to reports, the consignment is attracting daily
demurrage charges of $17 000 pending receipt of full payment by the supplier
whose charges will be passed on to GMAZ.
Holbud recently wrote to GMAZ chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara
expressing the company’s exasperation at the failure by Zimbabwe to pay for the
consignment.
“We are very disappointed as we have brought the vessel
basing on various promises given to us and also given the fact that we have
always been supporting Zimbabwe during tight situations like now. Please let us
know at the earliest time when the balance payment will be made to us,” Holbud
wrote.
“We request you to come down to London, UK, on January 8,
2019 to discuss on the next shipment and how the payment will be made as we
will not be able to make similar provision for future shipment as our bankers
are very upset with the delay in payment.”
Holbud is now the sole supplier of wheat to Zimbabwe after
all the other companies cut off deliveries due to long delays in making
payments.
Contacted for comment, GMAZ spokesperson Garikai Chaunza
said the association was in the process of engaging the central bank and the
government over the issue.
“As I am speaking now, the chairperson [Musarara] is
engaging with Reserve Bank governor John Mangudya and Industry and Commerce
minister Mangaliso Ndlovu over this urgent issue,” he said.
“He [Musarara] is also having marathon discussions with the
supplier [Holbud] abroad and it is our hope that RBZ will do the needful. We
will give further updates once these discussions are over.”
The country imports wheat to augment the local cereal which
alone does not make good bread.
Bread manufactured by local bakers has 50% hard (imported)
wheat. Standard
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