THE Government has further put off the implementation of the new pre-shipment regulations under the Consignment Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA) programme to the end of February.
Initially the regulations which saw new goods listed on those requiring pre-shipment inspections were supposed to have started in October last and were postponed to the beginning of January this year.
However, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has revised its position after an engagement with the relevant stakeholders among them Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe.
The stakeholders raised concern that the new regulations have not taken into account goods already having been purchased or these already in transit.
In a public notice last week, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said the transitional measures under the CBCA programme had been moved from January 1 to February 29, 2024.
The new regulations affects the implementation of the consignment based conformity assessment programme for general goods, used motor vehicles and vehicles parts and destination inspection.
“The Ministry wishes to inform the general public that SI 132 of 2015, and SI 124 of 2020 which govern the implementation of the consignment based assessment (CBCA) is being enforced,” said the ministry.
“New SI 186 of 2023 and 187 of 2023 were gazetted in October 2023. However, a transitional arrangement was effected to facilitate the movement of goods that had already been ordered and were in transit.
This transitional arrangement which lapse on the 31st of December 2023 is hereby extended to 29 February 2024”.
Government introduced the CBCA regulations on December 18, 2015, which requires goods to be tested for conformity with required standards prior to importation into Zimbabwe.
It is understood that the programme was adopted to reduce hazardous and substandard imported products and improve customs duty collection.
Bureau Veritas was appointed by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for the verification and the assessment of conformity of goods in exporting countries.
Under the new regulations a penalty fee for importing without a COC has been reduced to 12 percent from 15 percent of the value of the goods.
As part of the new import dispensation all products regulated by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Zimbabwe exported into Zimbabwe must be accompanied by a CBCA certificate.
The categories of goods regulated under the programme include the following: food and agriculture, building and civil engineering, petroleum and fuels, packaging material, electrical/ electronic products, body care, automotive and transportation, clothing and textile and toys. — @tupeyo
Source Zimsituation