Zimbabwe: Trade implications of the mid-term fiscal policy review
Description
On 26 July 2011, the government presented its mid-term fiscal policy review. The following components of the review have implications for the national trade policy.
- Re-instatement of import duties for maize-meal and cooking oil effective 1 August 2011 (p.114 of source document).
- Prolongation of import duty suspension for salt, flour and rice until 31 December 2011 (p.114).
- Reintroduction of import duty waiver for capital goods used in the tourism sector from 1 September 2011 (p.115).
- Temporary suspension of import duties on Safari vehicles for six months starting 1 September 2011 (p.116).
- Suspension of traveler's rebate on imports of blankets, clothing new or used, footwear, travel bags and stoves from 1 August 2011 (p.122).
- Raise of the import tariff on potato chips, baked beans, corn snacks, canned peas, mixed fruit jam, and tomato sauce to 25 percent from 1 September 2011 (p.123-4).
- Raised import duty on school uniforms from 25 to 40 percent plus US$1.50/kg effective 1 September 2011 (p.124).
- Reintroduction of customs duty on disc ploughs and harrows, mould board ploughs, scarifiers and rippers, cultivators and weeders, mechanical rotary hoes, dam scoops, seeders, planters and transplanters from 1 September 2011 (p.125).
- Reduction of import duty for mild and carbon steel, toolsteel, wire, fasteners, helical springs, hydraulic hollow tubes, and bolts from 1 September 2011 (p.125-6).
- Duty reduction for pre-paid electricity meters from 1 September 2011 (p.126).
- Removal of import duty on computer software from 1 September 2011 (p.127).
- Extentsion of the import duty suspension for motor vehicles imported by physically challenged persons (p.132).
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | |
| Was such evidence identified? | |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? |
Date Discovered:
Implemented: Yes
Date of inception: 1 Aug 2011
GTA Evaluation: Amber
Related Measures:
Source:
Ministry of Finance (2011). The 2011 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review. Available at http://www.zimtreasury.org/downloads/Mid-Year-Fiscal-Policy-Review.pdf
Government Response:
- 873 reads
