Govt lifts import ban on secondhand clothes

Government has relaxed its position on the importation of second-hand clothes to allow for the resuscitation and reorganisation of the textile and clothing industry before the policy can be enforced. Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Mike Bimha said the policy on banning second-hand clothes was there, but cannot be enforced at present.

Said Bimha:

It’s a policy that was made with the hope that when we begin to enforce it, we will have improved local production. We cannot ban something when we do not have an alternative. People need to have an alternative if we are to say you cannot bring in clothes. We can only enforce when we believe that we have the capacity to make more or less the same as what we are importing. If we can’t, we might as well continue importing. When you have such an organised set-up which produces quality clothes at reasonable prices, then you can talk of banning.

Government banned the importation of second hand clothes and shoes in 2015 to allow the local industry to grow as it was being choked by cheap imports. The ban caused an outcry as people wanted cheaper alternatives while others defended their source of livelihood.

More: Herald