Millers Pledge To Deal With Suppliers Of Underweight Mealie Meal
The Small and Medium Millers of Zimbabwe (SMMZ), an organisation comprising 71 different small-scale millers, has pledged to work with authorities to deal with members selling underweight mealie-meal on the market.
Addressing journalists in Bulawayo on Thursday, SMMZ chairperson Davis Mohambi, said a multi-sectoral approach is required to deal with this practice. He said (via NewsDay):
We were contacted by members on the issue of underweighting maize meal which has emerged in the market. We realised that it’s an issue that requires multi-sectoral players to come together.
This is why we went to our parent ministry and had this caucus to mark the beginning of the journey to deal with the issue.
Competition is welcome and is good for creating a sustainable sector and the economy. But we have got certain people, whether they do it knowingly or unknowingly, who under weigh a product.
To put into perspective, if mealie-meal costs US$5 and you pack 9kgs and go into the market with that perceived 10kg and sell it at $4,50.
That 50c makes a huge difference in terms of sales and gives an unfair advantage to other players who are partaking in this problem.
Mohambi said they will engage retailers to help address the challenge given they are the gateway to the market. He said:
We realised that it is not specifically for the millers. So we shall be required to come together as an industry to understand what is happening to come up with a resolution to the problem.
There has to be self-regulation among industry players. The retailers are also key in this, so we shall be engaging them going forward so that they play a role which is required by the law because they are the gateway to the market.
Last month, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce warned businesses that are allegedly selling underweight products and not properly labelled that they will be prosecuted.
The Trade Measures Act governs trade practices, including product weights and measurements. It prohibits deceptive practices such as selling products that do not meet labelling requirements or using illegal measuring equipment.
The Consumer Protection Act safeguards consumers’ rights and interests. Selling underweight goods is illegal under this act, as it deprives customers of their rightful amounts and reduces their value for money.
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