Staff Reporter

Government says the availability of basic commodities has remained stable, with locally produced goods dominating shelf space, while price movements remain closely linked to exchange rate fluctuations.

Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere said Cabinet considered an update on price movements and the availability of basic commodities in the domestic market for the period January 2025 to March 2025.

He said the Ministry of Industry and Commerce continues to monitor the situation through regular market surveys aimed at safeguarding consumer welfare.

"The Ministry of Industry and Commerce conducts routine surveys to monitor prices and the availability of basic commodities with the ultimate goal of safeguarding and promoting consumer welfare in the economy," he said.

The monitored products include 14 essential goods: mealie-meal, laundry soap, cooking oil, bread, sugar, flour, rice, bath soap, washing powder, powdered/fresh milk, eggs, beef, chicken, and salt.

Dr. Muswere said the surveys showed that price movements were closely tied to currency developments.

"The public is advised that there is a positive correlation between the movements in the prices of basic commodities and exchange rate movements," he said.

He noted a narrowing of the gap between the official and parallel market exchange rates, alongside an increase in the presence of locally manufactured products in retail outlets.

"On a positive note, the gap between the official and parallel market rates has been narrowed during the period under review. It has also been observed that local products continue to dominate shelf space in both the formal and informal sector outlets," said Dr. Muswere.

However, he highlighted that the wholesale and retail sectors were facing operational challenges.

"The period under review witnessed the wholesale and retail sectors facing significant viability challenges, resulting in branch closures, destocking and reduced operations by some of the retail outlets," he said.

To promote compliance with trade regulations, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce conducted inspections which led to enforcement actions.

"Compliance inspections undertaken by the Ministry have resulted in 137 prosecutions, the issuance of 245 compliance notices and the seizure of 3 427 units of different products," Dr. Muswere said.

He added that the tight monetary policy stance adopted by authorities was helping to curb inflation and stabilise the economy.

"The current tight Monetary Policy is yielding results in the containment of inflationary pressures and maintaining exchange rate and price stability," he said.

Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring continued price stability, protecting consumers, and supporting the availability of basic goods through consistent policy enforcement and economic monitoring.