Zim government liberalises fuel importation

Government has liberalised the importation of fuel by allowing mining firms, transport operators and large corporates with capacity to procure the product on their own so as to ease pressure on the central bank.

Briefing journalists after a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said mining companies and those who consume high volumes of fuel could now import on their own.

“Furthermore, Cabinet has given a greenlight to large companies such as those in the mining sector to use their funds to import fuel for their use,” she said.

Energy and Power Development minister Joram Gumbo said the permission given to corporates to import their own fuel does not extend to individuals.

“This is not for individuals. At the moment, we are only allowing corporates,” he said. Cabinet also moved to change the Prisons Act and replace it with a new law that allows inmates to seek medical assistance from a medical doctor of their choice at their own expense as well as incorporate human rights issues as stated in the 2013 Constitution.

According to Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, the proposed law, which will focus on the rehabilitation of offenders and integration of the same back into society, was aimed at conforming the country’s prison system to international standards.

“This new law provides for a mechanism that caters for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, juvenile offenders as well as disabled and other special categories,” he said.

Cabinet further agreed to quicken the partial privatisation of State-owned Zupco and its capacitation through the introduction of electronic ticketing system in order to increase revenue collection and efficiency._NewsDay

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