Agricultural products
- Document symbol
- G/LIC/N/3/ZWE/4/Rev.1
- Original language
- English
- Published on
- 11/11/2014
Outline of Systems
Q1. Give a brief description of each licensing system as a whole and, with respect to each, reply to the following questions as relevant, placing all of the material with respect to a given system in sequence together, and using cross references as appropriate when elements which have already been described are also present in another system.
Zimbabwe's imports are governed by the Open General Import Licence (OGIL) where imports and exports are exempted from licences. For certain products where import licences are required, the licensing system is administered by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce through the Control of Goods Act Ministry of Agriculture also issues permits for agricultural products.
Purposes and Coverage of Licensing
Q2. Identify each licensing system maintained and state what products, appropriately grouped, are covered.
Agricultural products. See Product coverage.
Permits from the Ministry of Agriculture are required for: Maize grain and meal; Maize seed; Wheat; Corn meal; Corn soya meal; Flour; Barley; Barley malt; Sorghum grain, meal and malt; Mhunga, meal and malt; Poultry products; Cotton lint, meal, seed and cake; Animal semen and animal embryo; Apples; Baby corn; Bananas; Beans; Bean meal; Beef, veal; Bees; Bones, bone meal; Cattle, meat, hides, horns; Cheese; Citrus fruit; Animal feed stuff; Coffee beans; Goats; Grapes; Groundnuts; Hides and skins; Honey; Ice-cream; Meat meal, blood meal, carcass meal; Milk, pasteurized milk, steurilized milk, UHT milk, lacto, or any liquid milk; Oil seeds, oil cake, oilcake meal; Pigs, live and dead; Peaches; Pears; Plums; Rice in the grain; Rapoko, rapoko meal and rapoko malt; Seed for planting (grains); Seed for planting (trees, vegetables); Skimmed milk powder and full cream milk powder; Sunflower; Tea; Vegetables; Vegetable oils, vegetable fats and margarine.
Import licences from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce are required for: Palm stearine, palm kernel oil; Biscuits; Cashew nut oil; Coconut oil; Margarine; Milk (liquid and powder); onions; Rubber hoses; Tomatoes; Vegetable acid oil; Yeast.
Import permits from both Ministries (Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Industry and Commerce) are required for: Animal oils and fats (lard, tallow, dripping); Butter, ghee, cream; Potatoes;Sugar, raw sugar and refined sugar; Vegetable oils, vegetable fats and margarine.
Q3. The system applies to goods originating in and coming from which countries?
The system applies to goods originating in and coming from all countries.
Q4. Is the licensing intended to restrict the quantity or value of imports, and if not, what are its purposes? Have alternative methods of accomplishing the purposes been considered and if so which? Why have they not been adopted?
For agricultural products, permits are issued primarily for sanitary and phyto-sanitary requirements as well as for statistical purposes.
Q5. Cite the law, regulation and/or administrative order under which the licensing is maintained. Is the licensing statutorily required? Does the legislation leave designation of products to be subjected to licensing to administrative discretion? Is it possible for the government (or the executive branch) to abolish the system without legislative approval?
Is the licensing statutorily required?
The licensing system is governed by a Statutory Instruments No.350 of 1993; No.6 of 2014 and No.126 of 2014.
Is it possible for the government to abolish the system without legislative approval?
It is not possible for the Government to abolish the system without legislative approval.
Procedures
Q6. For products under restriction as to the quantity or value of imports (whether applicable globally or to a limited number of countries or whether established bilaterally or unilaterally):
Q6.I. Is information published, and where, concerning allocation of quotas and formalities of filing applications for licences? If not, how is it brought to the attention of possible importers? Of governments and export promotion bodies of exporting countries and their trade representatives? Is the overall amount published? The amount allocated to goods from each country? The maximum amount allocated to each importer? How to request any exceptions or derogations from the licensing requirement?
Q6.II. How is the size of the quotas determined: on a yearly, six-monthly or quarterly basis? Are there cases where the size of quota is determined on a yearly basis but licences are issued for imports on a six-monthly or quarterly basis? In the latter case, is it necessary for importers to apply for fresh licence on a six-monthly or quarterly basis?
Q6.III. Are licences allotted for certain goods partly or only to domestic producers of like goods? What steps are taken to ensure that licences allocated are actually used for imports? Are unused allocations added to quotas for a succeeding period? Are the names of importers to whom licences have been allocated made known to governments and export promotion bodies of exporting countries upon request? If not, for what reason? (Indicate products to which replies relate.)
Q6.IV. From the time of announcing the opening of quotas, as indicated in I above, what is the period of time allowed for the submission of applications for licences?
Q6.V. What are the minimum and maximum lengths of time for processing applications?
Q6.VI. How much time remains, at a minimum, between the granting of licences and the date of opening of the period of importation?
Q6.VII. Is consideration of licence applications effected by a single administrative organ? Or must the application be passed on to other organs for visa, note or approval? If so, which? Does the importer have to approach more than one administrative organ?
Q6.VIII. If the demand for licences cannot be fully satisfied, on what basis is the allocation to applicants made? First come, first served? Past performance? Is there a maximum amount to be allocated per applicant and, if so, on what basis is it determined? What provision is made for new importers? Are applications examined simultaneously or on receipt?
Q6.IX. In the case of bilateral quotas or export restraint arrangements where export permits are issued by exporting countries, are import licences also required? If so, are licences issued automatically?
Q6.X. In cases where imports are allowed on the basis of export permits only, how is the importing country informed of the effect given by the exporting countries to the understanding between the two countries?
Q6.XI. Are there products for which licences are issued on condition that goods should be exported and not sold in the domestic market?
Q7. Where there is no quantitative limit on importation of a product or on imports from a particular country:
Q7.a. How far in advance of importation must application for a licence be made? Can licences be obtained within a shorter time-limit or for goods arriving at the port without a licence (for example, owing to inadvertency)?
Application for a licence must be made before the goods arrive into the country.
Q7.b. Can a licence be granted immediately on request?
A licence may be granted immediately upon request.
Q7.c. Are there any limitations as to the period of the year during which application for licence and/or importation may be made? If so, explain.
There are no limitations as to the period of the year during which application for licence and or importation may be made.
Q7.d. Is consideration of licence applications effected by a single administrative organ? Or must the application be passed on to other organs for visa, note or approval? If so, which? Does the importer have to approach more than one administrative organ?
For agricultural products, the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development issue permits
Q8. Under what circumstances may an application for a licence be refused other than failure to meet the ordinary criteria? Are the reasons for any refusal given to the applicant? Have applicants a right of appeal in the event of refusal to issue a licence and, if so, to what bodies and under what procedures?
Under what circumstances may an application for a licence be refused other than failure to meet the ordinary criteria?
For agricultural products, a licence may not be granted if the products are coming from disease prone zones.
Are the reasons for any refusal given to applicants?
The reasons for any refusal are given to the applicant.
Have applicants a right of appeal in the event of refusal to issue a licence?
In the event of refusal to issue a licence, the applicant can appeal to the reconsideration of the application.
Eligibility of Importers to Apply for Licence
Q9. Are all persons, firms and institutions eligible to apply for licences: (If not, is there a system of registration of persons or firms permitted to engage in importation? What persons or firms are eligible? Is there a registration fee? Is there a published list of authorized importers?) a) under restrictive licensing systems? b) under non-restrictive systems?
What persons or firms are eligible to apply for a licence?
All persons, firms and institutions are eligible to apply for licences.
Is there a published list of authorized importers?
There is no list of authorized importers.
Documentational and Other Requirements for Application for Licence
Q10. What information is required in applications? Submit a sample form. What documents is the importer required to supply with the application?
Applicants are required to include information and documents on quantity of products, value of products, Certificate of Incorporation, CR14, Tax Clearance Certificate and application for import licence.
Q11. What documents are required upon actual importation?
Upon actual importation, the importer is required to submit the approved import licence, the Certificate of Origin and other customs related documentation.
Q12. Is there any licensing fee or administrative charge? If so, what is the amount of the fee or charge?
Is there any licensing fee or administrative charge?
Yes.
What is the amount of the fee or charge?
Licence fees ranging from $30 - $60 are charged depending on the product.
Q13. Is there any deposit or advance payment requirement associated with the issue of licences? If so, state the amount or rate, whether it is refundable, the period of retention and the purpose of the requirement.
There is no deposit or advance payment requirement associated with the issuance.
Conditions of Licensing
Q14. What is the period of validity of a licence? Can the validity of a licence be extended? How?
A licence is valid for three months from the date of issue. The validity can be extended through a request for extension.
Q15. Is there any penalty for the non-utilization of a licence or a portion of a licence?
There is no penalty for the non-utilization of a licence or a portion of it.
Q16. Are licences transferable between importers? If so, are any limitations or conditions attached to such transfer?
Licences are not transferable between importers.
Q17. Are any other conditions attached to the issue of a licence? a) for products subject to quantitative restriction? b) for products not subject to quantitative restriction?
There are no other conditions attached to the issuance of a licence.
Other Procedural Requirements
Q18. Are there any other administrative procedures, apart from import licensing and similar administrative procedures, required prior to importation?
Apart from import licensing the importer has to comply with normal customs clearance procedures.
Q19. Is foreign exchange automatically provided by the banking authorities for goods to be imported? Is a licence required as a condition to obtaining foreign exchange? Is foreign exchange always available to cover licences issued? What formalities must be fulfilled for obtaining the foreign exchange?
The local currency is not in use. In 2009, the country adopted a multi-currency system (dollarization).