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GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI

MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND TRADE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REVOCATION OF SELECTED BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Mbabane, Eswatini – In line with His Excellency the Right Honourable Prime Minister’s announcement of the revision of the gradual relaxation of business operations, Government, through the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade has come to the decision to revoke some of the permits issued over the past week.

The following permits are hereby revoked, effective Friday the 24th April 2020:

  1. 1. Car dealerships
  2. 2. Craft Vendors
  3. 3. Photographic Studios
  4. 4. Agents and Consultants
  5. 5. Dry Cleaners
  6. 6. Driving Schools
  7. 7. Furniture Shops
  8. 8. General Dealers not selling food items
  9. 9. Car Wash business
  10. 10. Casinos and gambling shops
  11. 11. Clothing Shops – only baby clothes and baby essentials shall be on sale, under revised conditions.

The following businesses shall continue to operate but under strict conditions:

  1. 1. Retail outlets selling baby clothes and essentials – These shall now operate two days a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, between 10am and 3pm.
  2. 2. Stationery Shops – These shall operate daily between 9am and 3pm
  3. 3. Automobile Workshops, Spares Shops, Repairs & Breakdown Services – These shall also operate daily between 9am and 3pm. Breakdown Services will, however, operate on extended hours based on emergencies.
  4. 4. Construction – These shall operate daily but under very strict guidelines as guided by the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health.

Essential Industries as announced on the 27th March 2020 will remain operational for now, also under the conditions set out by the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

  1. 1. Food and Agriculture; which includes:
  • Those involved in the food value chain
  • Food vendors
  1. 2. Retail and consumer goods suppliers, which include:
  • • Consumer Goods suppliers
  • • Food Retailers e.g. food outlets, raw material suppliers and farmers
  • • Those involved in the transportation, logistics and packaging of consumer goods
  • • Other Retail Goods that support the medical industry e.g. bedding, linen and emergency clothing for hospitals, health workers and those caring for the sick
  1. 3. Network Infrastructure; which include:
  • • Water, waste water and sanitation
  • • Electricity suppliers
  • • Renewable Energy suppliers
  • • Gas suppliers
  • • Fuel suppliers
  • • Law enforcement
  • • Defence, Safety and Security
  • • Waste disposal
  • • Fire and Emergency services
  • • Mining and power stations
  1. 4. Medical and Health; which include:
  • • Hospitals
  • • Devices and Equipment
  • • Pharmaceuticals
  • • Funders
  • • Doctors, nurses, paramedics e.t.c.
  1. 5. Forestry and Sawmills
  • • For the production of disposable, health and hygiene products including toilet paper as well as for packaging for food and the health supply chain.
  1. 6. IT Systems and Telecommunications
  2. 7. Finance and Insurance
  3. 8. Tourism and Hospitality
  4. 9. Communications e.g. Media
  5. 10. Hardware Shops
  6. 11. Funeral Parlours
  7. 12. NGOs - particularly those servicing essential industries.
  8. 13. Public Transport and cross-border trade transport
  • • These will operate under the guidelines that the Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has issued.
  • • For cross-border transport, this will be restricted to essential services as defined in Eswatini, South Africa and Mozambique.

All other businesses shall remain closed.

Warning Against Price Inflation, Unfair Business Practices

In conclusion, the Ministry has noted with concern that some businesses continue to inflate prices for food and goods to the detriment of the consumers. On the other hand, we have received disturbing reports of some some shops that force consumers to buy goods for a certain amount before they can be sold scarce commodities. As a Ministry, we strongly condemn such acts. This is in contravention of Section 18 of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) Regulations 2020.

We shall, therefore, be vigilant and conduct random inspections working together with armed forces. Anyone found to be in breach of these Regulations shall be liable to a fine not exceeding E500 000 as stated in Section 24.

Released by:

Senator Manqoba B. Khumalo

Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade

23rd April 2020

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