'Ban car imports,' says Quest Motors

Published: 04 July 2014

Quest Motors Manufacturing (Quest) says Zimbabwe must ban car imports.

The group - with capacity to produce 105 cars per day and 100 buses monthly - said government should shift its policy towards promoting the local car manufacturing industry.

This comes as approximately 80 percent of cars on Zimbabwe's roads are imported.

"It's not like there is no capacity, there is no government support," Quest's managing director Tarik Adam said at the launch of the company's new car model Foton Tunland in Mutare this week.

He said Quest was finding it difficult to continue manufacturing cars under the current circumstances, adding that with government's support, the company was "in a position to supply the country with affordable brand new cars".

At full production capacity, Quest employs at least 3 000 workers.

Adam said if Quest was fully operational it would also benefit other downstream industries that provide vehicle components.

He said banning imported vehicles would revive the local car industry.

Adam said "several companies that manufacture car batteries, tyres, seat covers, and filters had closed down because people are now importing most of the products".

He said Quest signed agreements with some Chinese companies for the Mutare-based manufacturing plant to assemble cars, buses and trucks.

"We, Beijing AUV Bus, Beiqi Foton Motor Co. Limited are glad to inform you that Quest Motors Limited has passed our technical evaluation and succeed in acquiring our authority to manufacture Foton buses on behalf of Beijing AUV Bus, Beiqi Foton Motor Co. Limited in the authority area," reads part of the confirmation letter written on May 20, this year.

Adam said the agreement took three years of negotiation, and was the gateway to a greater future in the country's car manufacturing industry.

He said his company together with Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries, which he said can produce 120 cars a day, had the capacity to satisfy the local market.

The company's general manager Thomas Sarimana, who has been in the car manufacturing industry for more than 30 years, said there was no reason for Zimbabweans to import cars from outside the country, considering that his company was capable of satisfying the market.

The firm's human resources manager David Dumba also said reviving the local industry would help save foreign currency, create employment and support the government's economic blueprint ZimAsset.

Currently, Zimbabweans are vying for second hand Japanese cars, which are considered cheaper.
- dailynews