THE Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association of Zimbabwe (SFAAZ) has proposed raising the foreign currency Consignment-Based Conformity Assessment (CBCA) certification threshold from US$1 000 to US$3 000 to ease the cost burden on importers.
Implemented by the government, the CBCA programme is designed to ensure imported goods meet specific quality and safety standards before clearing customs.
Currently, consignments valued at US$1 000 free on board or more must undergo this certification process.
“We are recommending that the threshold be raised from the current US$1 000 to at least US$3 000, especially for low-risk goods,” SFAAZ chairperson Assan Mtembo told businessdigest in an interview.
“The current threshold is too low and disproportionately affects small importers, who end up paying the same fees as large consignments, which is not sustainable for small businesses.”
He said for someone importing goods worth just above US$1 000, a minimum conformity charge of around US$140 would be charged.
“Meanwhile, a large importer pays the same amount, making the cost-to-value ratio extremely skewed,” Mtembo added.
He urged authorities to review the rules governing certificate expiry and penalties for minor infractions, warning that overly punitive measures could push traders toward smuggling and non-compliance.
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“When the costs of formal trade are too high, people start looking for shortcuts,” Mtembo said.
He called on authorities to reconsider existing rules on certificate validity and penalties for minor infractions, warning that punitive compliance measures could incentivise smuggling and informal trading.
“That fuels corruption, reduces government revenue, and compromises consumer safety,” Mtembo said.
SFAAZ’s recommendations reflect wider concerns within the industry over the current import regulatory regime, with calls growing louder for a framework that is efficient, transparent, and supportive of formalised trade.
The association cited duplicated inspections, high compliance costs, and unclear classification systems as major constraints stifling formal trade.
Importers have expressed increasing frustration over regulatory overlaps between international CBCA service providers and local agencies, which they say are lengthening turnaround times and escalating costs.
“The current system is riddled with duplication, high compliance costs, and unclear classification processes that are frustrating importers and discouraging formal trade,” Mtembo said.
He also questioned why goods already certified by accredited foreign agencies are subjected to further local inspections.
“Once goods are certified by a competent foreign agency, we do not see the logic of subjecting them to another round of local inspections,” Mtembo said.
“It causes delays, raises costs, and ultimately increases the cost of doing business.”
He said redundant checks, especially on goods already tested for aspects such as radiation levels, were not only costly, but created confusion at the country’s ports of entry.
“If the international agent is authorised to test according to global standards, why should the same product be retested locally? These extra costs are inevitably passed on to the consumer,” Mtembo said.
SFAAZ is also concerned about the CBCA programme’s use of a four-digit tariff classification system, which it argues is too broad and prone to misinterpretation.
The association is pushing for a return to the more detailed eight-digit classification format to improve clarity and ensure accurate enforcement.
“With four-digit codes, a wide range of products are lumped together, including some that do not even require conformity assessments,” Mtembo said.
“It becomes problematic when similar-looking products such as welding machines and generators are classified differently. That leads to confusion and delays.”
The association also flagged the increasing volume of goods entering Zimbabwe through informal routes, such as cross-border buses and runners who circumvent CBCA requirements altogether. SFAAZ warned that this was distorting the market and disadvantaging compliant traders.
“We do not believe in formalising the informal. Every trader, regardless of size, should operate within a formal regulatory framework,” Mtembo said.
“Informality usually means operating outside the law or without accountability.”
