GOVERNMENT has signed a four-year Consignment-Based Conformity (CBCA) contract with a French global company, Bureau Veritas. BY TARISAI MANDIZHA
The deal is for the provision of pre-shipment services of the listed products in the country of export and issuance of certificates of conformity based on the national and international quality, safety, health and environment standards.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Harare yesterday, Industry and Commerce minister Mike Bimha said under the deal, government would receive monthly royalty fees equivalent to 5% of all monies charged and received for services from Bureau Veritas.
“As an interim measure, while the establishment of the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority is being finalised, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce engaged Bureau Veritas, which offers services of pre-shipment inspection and verification of conformity, to implement Verification of Conformity Programme.
“This CBCA contract will be inplace for four years. After the four years, Bureau Veritas is expected to hand over the verification of conformity service to the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority,” Bimha said.
He said the other benefits to the country, apart from the 5% royalties, were employment creation, revival of the industry, international recognition and that people would be guaranteed goods and services of high quality, safety, health and environment.
“Bureau Veritas services will create employment by providing training and employment of locals, to an amount equivalent to 2% of the annual turnover exclusive of royalty fee remitted to government in the areas of laboratory, inspection, testing, legal enforcement, risk management and procurement, or on such other areas as may be determined by the Government of Zimbabwe, in an appropriate institution within the assigned region,” Bimha said.
He said the company would provide pre-shipment services of the listed products in the country of export and issue a certificate and at each point of entry, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority would require production of the certificate for the product to enter Zimbabwe.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“Zimbabwe is currently being flooded with sub-standard imported goods which do not meet quality, safety, health and environmental standards in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements. These goods are negatively impacting on the implementation of Zimbabwe’s blueprint, ZimAsset, in particular our growth and development agenda, and the competitiveness of local industries,” Bimha said.
“It is against this background that government is in the process of setting up the Zimbabwe Standards Regulatory Authority which will be responsible for the monitoring and control of imports, exports and local goods. This will ensure compliance with quality, health, safety and environmental standards in line with the three WTO agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade and pre-shipment inspection.”
Bimha added that the government was in the process of crafting the Zimbabwe Standards Regulatory Authority Act and the draft bill would be finalised by the end of 2015.
He said the act would give effect to the establishment of the Zimbabwe Standards Regulatory Authority which will be responsible for monitoring and control of imports, exports and local goods.
Bureau Veritas operates in 140 countries worldwide. Currently in Africa, Bureau Veritas offers pre-shipment services to Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Uganda, South Africa and Cote d’lvore.
