No price blitz in the near future, says Jokonya

THE PRESIDENT of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), Callisto Jokonya has assured Zimbabwe’s business community that the government will not order another price blitz, amid rising prices of basic commodities.
 

In an interview after meeting government officials on Tuesday, Jokonya said he had been assured by the government that there would not be a pre-election price cut blitz, although they were concerned that prices of all basic commodities were now beyond the reach of the general populace.
 
"The situation as it is at the moment is about elections. The government is concerned more of the pending election than anything else," said Jokonya.

President Robert Mugabe recently told a rally in Hwange that the government would move swiftly to impose another price cut blitz if business continued to raise prices of basic commodities.
 
He said price increases were part of a plot to force voters to turn against his ruling Zanu PF in the March 29 presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections.
 
Mugabe told Zanu PF supporters that he was being forced to push for cuts in prices and called for an urgent meeting with business leaders to iron out their differences.
 
The President had wanted prices reversed to February 12 levels when teachers and state workers were awarded pay rises, but business and government have settled for compromise to keep prices at March 18 levels.