Constantly changing regulations and new intergovernment agreements mean that some doors are always being closed and others opened for exporters and importers wanting to move products in and out of Zimbabwe, says Juren Mtemeli, managing director of Cilo Freight. He advises any company wanting to start manufacturing or producing products for export out of Zimbabwe, or those wanting to move goods into the country, to include a review of the customs procedures – and possible future developments – in their planning. One of the services offered by the company is customs consulting in order to help clients plan and cost more effectively by taking advantage of the dispensations which are available while complying with the law, he says. The constant changes mean that sometimes the customs officials themselves have not been able to keep up, and need to be guided through the codes and regulations by the clearing house. “There are, for example, different regulations governing trade with members of Comesa and of the Sadec trading blocks. In addition, there are bilateral agreements between Zimbabwe and its neighbours. “We help our clients enjoy the maximum utilisation of the concessions available under the different agreements,” says the Zimbabwe customs veteran, who started Cilo Freight in 1994 after taking early retirement from customs where he had risen to the post of assistant director. With a team of 36 people based at all the major Zimbabwean border posts, Cilo Freight is able to keep up with the latest customs regulations and developments, and provides customs consulting as part of its services to existing clients, as well as on a fee basis for those companies researching the market.
