LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Government is expediting the restructuring of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), to improve the regulatory, compliance, discipline, in the tobacco sector, Business Times can report.
Land, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister, Anxious Masuka said the reforms are targeting management changes and institutional reforms, among many other proposed changes.
The TIMB chief executive officer, Andrew Matibiri, is expected to leave the tobacco sector regulator at the end of this month after spending more than 10 years at the helm of the tobacco sector regulator.
Government regulations restrict a parastatal CEO’s term to 10 years. The rule, however, was not in place when Matibiri took over the reins.
TIMB is now hunting for a new CEO.
“In line with the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Strategy, my ministry has refocused the mandate of TIMB and the Board will reform and restructure to improve the regulatory, compliance, discipline, and traceability environment to increase tobacco production to 300m kilogrammes annually,” Masuka said.
Masuka confirmed that Matibiri would leave TIMB at the end of April after a 15 year career at the helm of the tobacco board.
He said Matibiri has been in the tobacco industry for over 37 years and can “consult him when necessary”.
Government is also targeting to restructure and transform other key agriculture institutions and State firms as part of ongoing efforts to improve the sector’s performance and contribution to economic growth and development.
This, according to Masuka, would be done under Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy. Among the entities targeted under the reorientation strategy are Agribank, Agriculture Marketing Authority, the Grain Marketing Board, Cottco, Silo Foods and the Pig Industry Board.
Also among the targeted entities are the Zimbabwe Water Authority, Agriculture Research Council, Tobacco Research Board, Cold Storage Company and the Agriculture and Rural Development Authority.
