GRAIN millers have maintained a 10 percent mark-up retail
price on mealie-meal and other basics and rejected the selling of the products
in foreign currency.
Speaking at a joint meeting with retailers and wholesalers
in Bulawayo yesterday, Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) president,
Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, stressed the need for all stakeholders across the
value-chain to work in unison to avoid wanton price increases that may push
re-introduction of price controls by Government.
“We have to work together. We came up with a Memorandum of
Understanding where we agreed that from time immemorial, the margins for salt
has been 10 percent and in our case it should be 10 percent plus two percent
intermediary tax plus 1 percent bank charges.
“The margin for-mealie meal was 10 percent, plus two
percent (intermediary tax), and 1 percent (bank charges), rice has been a
maximum of 20 percent inclusive of the two percent (intermediary tax) and 1
percent bank charges, self raising flour has been 20 percent inclusive of two
percent intermediary tax and one percent bank charges, the same with sugar
beans,” he said.
Starting next Monday, Mr Musarara said GMAZ will deploy
price monitors across the country to monitor prices of basic commodities with a
view of protecting consumers from being short-changed by unscrupulous
retailers.
This follows a Memorandum of Understanding GMAZ signed with
Confederation of Zimbabwean Retailers where they agreed on a model pricing
system of basic commodities.
“We are not pushing for a price control. We are simply
saying from the maximum price that we shall give you (retailers and
wholesalers), the maximum you should mark-up should be 10 percent.
“For example, our current price, which of course, prices
are going to change soon is a maximum of RTGS$10,50 per 10 kilogrammes of
roller meal and therefore, if you put the 10 percent, plus 2 percent
(intermediary tax) and 1 percent (bank charges), we don’t expect the price of a
10kg roller meal to be more than RTGS$11,85,” he said.
Mr Musarara acknowledged concerns that some retailers
particularly in the border towns such as Plumtree were selling in forex. During
a question and answer session, some complained that suppliers of packaging
material were selling their products in foreign currency. Mr Musarara said
Government was seized with the matter and it was their hope that it would be
addressed soon.
He said the engagement initiative was aimed at building
trust and confidence from a staple food distribution perspective.
“It’s important that we try by every means to avoid the
incidents of 2005/6 where there were price controls, where millers and
retailers were blaming each other on who is increasing the prices, where
Government as a third party would come in and tell us what our product must
cost,” he said.
Mr Musarara noted that when one of the players within the
milling value chain committed what Government does not like, the policy
interventions were always not in favour of all stakeholders.
“I don’t think it was the Government’s intention to fund
Silo industries and open shops. But I guess it is a response to a situation, so
all of us are in the same boat, Government will never get broke before you get
broke. We need to do what is responsible, what is good for the consumers and in
a manner that leaves us viable,” he said.
Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment