THE Government is crafting a pricing model aimed at benchmarking most goods especially basic commodities sold by retailers as it moves to protect citizens against the prevailing wanton price increases, a Cabinet Minister said.

In an interview after touring Bulawayo wholesalers last Thursday with goods to be delivered to shops that were looted during the January illegal violent strike organised by MDC-Alliance and its partners, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the Government was saddened by the unabated price increases, which continue to erode consumers’ purchasing power.

Prof Ncube was accompanied by Industry and Commerce Minister, Hon Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu and Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Hon Sithembiso Nyoni and Minister of Provincial Affairs for Bulawayo Hon Judith Ncube.

“It’s unfortunate that prices continue to be high and are putting a constraint on the purchasing power on most ordinary citizens. I think what we have to do in the end is perhaps to publish what these kind of prices are in a place like in South Africa because most of the goods seem to be imported, what are they (worth) in Rand and we apply the official exchange rate interbank market and convert that into RTGS dollars so that we can get a sense of import parity,” said Prof Ncube.State media