Maravi

(HERALD) Boost for mechanisation

Boost for mechanisation
Herald Reporter

GOVERNMENT’S agricultural mechanisation programme has received a boost following the gazetting of a Bill last Friday that provides for the establishment and registration of warehouses for storage of agricultural implements. The gazetting of the Warehouse Bill comes as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has intensified the procurement of agricultural equipment for the second phase of distribution set for September this year. RBZ Governor Dr Gideon Gono inspected delivery of more agricultural equipment at a local warehouse in the capital last Friday and said the central bank intends to acquire more implements.

Dr Gono said the RBZ was determined to take the land reform programme to a new level by procuring agricultural equipment for small and medium-scale farmers. He said the equipment was being sourced both locally and abroad and wanted to acquire more than 500 000 units of every farming equipment from the current level of less than 1 000. The equipment, currently being stored in all provinces, includes disc ploughs, disc harrows, combine harvesters, tractors, planters and boom sprayers.

The Bill, published in the Government Gazette last Friday, will be tabled before Parliament soon for debate. It provides for the establishment of warehouses for storage in respect of which a receipt would be issued. Licenced warehouse personnel to be employed by warehouse operators would man such warehouses. The warehouse operators will be empowered to issue to depositors negotiable collateral receipts.

Clause three of the Bill provides for the establishment of the Office of Registrar of Warehouses, who will be a public officer, for the proper administration of the Act.

His role would be to register warehouses and cancelling their registration, inspecting registered warehouses at least once a year, licensing warehouses and issuing to warehouse persons books of warehouse receipts.

Clause four compels warehouse operators to be registered and the details of how one can apply to be an operator.

It is a requirement that the warehouses, existing or new ones, insure the contents against fire, storm damage, theft and other similar risks.

The Registrar of Warehouses would issue a certificate if he is satisfied by an application from an intending operator and he is required to keep a register of operators.

Clause eight allows the Registrar of Warehouses to amend the registration certificate to correct any error, if the operator requests it, or if the registrar considers the amendment necessary to reflect the true nature of the business or considers it desirable in the public interest.

The registrar should notify the warehouse operators in writing not less than 10 days before the proposed amendment of the nature of the amendment.

Clause nine provides grounds upon which the registrar might cancel an operator’s certificate.

A certificate can be cancelled if the licenced person is no longer managing the warehouse, or if he fails to comply with the Act.

The licence is not transferable to any other person.

Labels: AGRICULTURE, GIDEON GONO, MECHANISATION, THE HERALD, TRACTORISATION, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 7:38 PM