Byo police on bakeries crackdown

Police are forcing the supermarkets and bakeries to sell slash the price of a loaf of bread from $1,5million to $200 000, a price which has been dismissed as ridiculous and could not sustain their businesses against high operational costs.
The National Bakers Association (NBA) is pressing for morethan 85 percent increase in the price of bread, from the current retail price of $200 000 per loaf to 1,5million citing increasing fuel costs.
Most bakery and supermarket managers in Bulawayo told The Zimbabwean  on Saturday that they would seize baking and selling bread to avoid incurring huge costs during the latest police crackdown.
 I incurred huge losses on Saturday when police descended at my shop, forcing me to reduce the price of bread to a ridiculous $200 000. The money is far too less compared to the money I lose when ordering this bread from bakeries. I would rather not sell bread than incur such losses<‘ said a manager speaking to The Zimbabwean.
Bulawayo police spokesperson, Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the latest police crackdown.
 Supermarkets and bakeries were selling the bread at above the stipulated price and as the police we would not watch while businesses cheat consumers through flouting government price controls, Inspector Moyo said on Saturday.
Speaking at the Zanu PF Extraordinary Congress, Mugabe said he was worried by the recent spate of price increases. He said appropriate action would be taken on errant businesses.
 Mugabe’s threat seemed to support National Incomes and Pricing Commission (NIPC) chairman Godwills Masimirembwa who was forced to eat humble pie by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono three weeks ago.
 Masimirembwa was diplomatically whipped into line by Gono after he threatened to unleash the second phase of the blitz.
Most businesses are yet to recover from the devastating effects of the controversial price blitz launched in July