ZNCC Calls For Amendment Of Customs And Excise Act

The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) has implored the Government to amend the Customs and Excise Act, saying the law is now outdated and no longer addresses pertinent issues.

Speaking to NewsDay on the sidelines of the ZNCC annual congress held in Victoria Falls last week, Mugaga said:

For the Customs and Excise Act, I think you understand in Zimbabwe it is the Commissioner of Taxes who has the right to talk about relief in the industry.

The Customs and Excise Act in Zimbabwe right now is outdated and no longer addresses issues to do with dumping or issues to do with uncompetitive practices. All those things need attention.

Mugaga also said the Government’s penchant for using statutory instruments (SIs) to address economic challenges is not helpful.

He said SIs were toxic and confusing the market and show an inability on the part of the Government to come up with policies with a long-term vision. Said Mugaga:

If you look closely, I think the issue we have as businesses is that of delegated pieces of legislation.

For years, we have relied on regulations especially statutory instruments for economic policy-making which to a certain extent, is even confusing to the market because an average businessperson in Zimbabwe right now certainly doesn’t understand which statutory instrument is working for what because they are so conflated and they will be coming fast and even in the process we have lost direction and its quite very unfortunate.

But going forward, our hope and belief are that we are going to see a change of direction where the regulations will remain subsequent to the Act itself which means overreliance on statutory instruments is toxic or it shows our inability to come up with policies with a long-term vision.

The Government has promulgated more than 250 statutory instruments from last year to date.

More: Pindula News