THE funeral industry has offered to meet funeral expenses of people who die in national disasters on condition that government scraps duty on hearses and other burial equipment.
By Stephen Chadenga
Zimbabwe Association of Funeral Assurers (Zafa) president Edward Gomba told the body’s just ended conference in Gweru that the industry was finding it hard to acquire equipment due to high import duties.
He said given the proposed incentives, the association was willing to assist government in its quest to economically transform the country.
“Our members need equipment in the form of motor vehicles, buses, cold rooms and other burial equipment, which they are finding it difficult to purchase due to high import duties,” Gomba said.
“We will, therefore, be very grateful if duty is waived or reduced on the importation of hearses and other burial equipment not only for the benefit of funeral companies but the society at large.
“If we are properly equipped as the funeral industry we will be better positioned to freely assist the government in burying people in times of national disasters.”
Gomba said the association’s members lacked capacity to help government in times of national disasters like accidents and floods.
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He urged the government to relax the compliance requirements for the funeral sector to stabilise the industry so that it can realise growth.
The Zafa boss also revealed that they had a meeting at the beginning of the conference with two other associations from Kenya (Funeral Services Association of Kenya) and South Africa (National Funeral Directors of South Africa) to form a continental body.
the African Funeral Assurance and Services Association (Afasa).
Afasa would deal with challenges in planning and repatriation of dead bodies.
