HARARE – Zimbabwean police have arrested 16 more business executives for raising prices above those stipulated by President Robert Mugabe’s government, a newspaper said yesterday.
The latest arrests bring to 33 the number of executives arrested since Friday under a police blitz dubbed Operation Reduce Prices, said the official Sunday Mail. Those arrested included the executives of clothing stores, butcheries and fast food outlets, said the paper.Police meanwhile threatened to extend their blitz to pharmacies, hardware stores and Harare’s flea markets, informal market places that many city dwellers rely on to buy cheap clothes, shoes and electronic goods.”There has been non-compliance in sectors such as flea markets, hardwares, pharmacies and the transport industry, just to mention a few,” police spokesman Andrew Phiri told the paper.Mugabe’s government two weeks ago warned businesses to reduce their prices by half, or risk being taken over by the government.Teams of police and price inspectors have been moving around the country to enforce the decree.In a move likely to precipitate a fuel crisis, the teams on Saturday ordered service stations in Harare to reduce the price of a litre of diesel and petrol from about 200 000 Zimbabwe dollars to between 55 000 and 60 000 dollars.The new price is worth around US$0,34 per litre, which is way below the selling price for fuel in the region.Nampa-SapaThose arrested included the executives of clothing stores, butcheries and fast food outlets, said the paper.Police meanwhile threatened to extend their blitz to pharmacies, hardware stores and Harare’s flea markets, informal market places that many city dwellers rely on to buy cheap clothes, shoes and electronic goods.”There has been non-compliance in sectors such as flea markets, hardwares, pharmacies and the transport industry, just to mention a few,” police spokesman Andrew Phiri told the paper.Mugabe’s government two weeks ago warned businesses to reduce their prices by half, or risk being taken over by the government.Teams of police and price inspectors have been moving around the country to enforce the decree.In a move likely to precipitate a fuel crisis, the teams on Saturday ordered service stations in Harare to reduce the price of a litre of diesel and petrol from about 200 000 Zimbabwe dollars to between 55 000 and 60 000 dollars.The new price is worth around US$0,34 per litre, which is way below the selling price for fuel in the region.Nampa-Sapa
