The government has dispatched price control monitors countrywide to crackdown on retailers defying the government’s directive to freeze prices for the duration of the lockdown, Daily News reports.
This was confirmed by the Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa who spoke to the publication and said:
Monitors are being sent to check on basic commodities, to establish the real situation on the ground. At the same time, government will continue to engage retailers,
However, sources that spoke to the publication said the price monitors were sent to force retailers to comply with the government’s directive to revert to pre lockdown prices. Said one of the sources that spoke to the Daily News:
Those that will be found on the wrong side of the law will have their licences revoked. That is why the monitors will be taking down names, not just checking pricing regimes. The monitors are being deployed as from the beginning of this week
This comes after VP Kembo Mohadi said the government had agreed with retailers to revert back to pre lockdown prices to ease the burden off consumers.
More: Daily News