Mugabe’s dairy gets duty-free import quota

Source: Mugabe’s dairy gets duty-free import quota – DailyNews Live January 9, 2017

Farayi Machamire

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe’s dairy business – Alpha Omega Dairy
(Private) Limited – is among 20 companies that have been granted approval
to import milk powder duty-free.

The provision was gazetted on Friday under Statutory Instrument 159 of
2016.

The Government Gazette stated that Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa had
suspended duty for various powdered milk importers with effect from
January 1, 2017.

The suspension will run until December 31 this year.

Under the provision, the Mugabes’ multi-million-dollar business located in
Mazowe central will be allowed to import a maximum of 50 000 kilogrammes
(kg) of full cream milk powder per annum and a maximum of 100 000kg skimmed milk powder.

The dairy – one of the biggest in the sub-Saharan region – manufactures
milk, ice-cream, yoghurt, chocolate, fruit juices and sour milk.

Dendairy Private Limited and Dairibord Zimbabwe have the highest duty-free
import margin.

The pair has been granted a ring-fenced quantity of 1,2 million kg full
cream milk powder per annum.

Respectively, they have been granted 440 000kg skimmed milk powder per annum and 1 250 million.

Cairns Foods and Innscor Bakers occupy the lowest rung of companies
granted the least kgs per annum.

The pair has been granted 25 000kg and 10 000kg per annum respectively for
skimmed milk powder.

In the meantime, sanitary wear manufacturers as well as producers of food,
soap and cosmetics are now eligible for rebate following provisions
gazetted under Statutory Instrument 161 and 155 of 2016.

They will, however, have to first be registered manufacturers of the said
goods in order to enjoy the rebate.

The eligible goods for rebate include hotmelt glue, absorbent polymer,
self-adhesive tape, pulp, spandex filament, tissues material and non-woven
fabric of man-made filaments.

“It is hereby notified that the minister of Finance has in terms of
section 235, as read with section 120, of the Customs and Excise Act, made
the following regulations….subject to these regulations, a rebate of
duty shall be granted on goods referred to in the Second Schedule,
imported or taken out of bond by a manufacturer for use in the
manufacturing of sanitary wear,” the Government Gazette read.

“Any person who wishes to claim a rebate of duty in terms of these
regulations shall apply to the proper officer in form SWMR 1 for
registration as a manufacture.”

“When the applicant has complied with the requirements of this section,
the Commissioner shall register the applicant.

“The fee of registration as a manufacturer shall be the prescribed
amount.”

Manufacturers have also been ordered to keep stock-books showing full
particulars of all receipts and goods entered so that the rebated goods
can be accounted for.

“If the manufacture fails to keep the stock-book in the manner
approved…any rebated goods received by the manufacture during the period
when the stock-book was not so kept shall be deemed to have used for a
purpose other than that for which the rebate was granted,” read the
Government Gazette.