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MBABANE — The National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard) of Eswatini has postponed the implementation of a proposed 24% levy on imported edible oils by four months, moving the effective date from September 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027.
The deferral follows an intervention by Business Eswatini (BE), the country's apex private-sector body, which raised concerns about the adequacy of consultation undertaken before the levy was announced and flagged the potential impact of the measure on business input costs, consumer prices, household budgets and the competitiveness of the local market.
NAMBoard Chief Executive Officer Bhekizwe Maziya and Business Eswatini Chief Executive Officer Nathi Dlamini led the engagement that produced the postponement, described as an interim measure that allows the two bodies to undertake further consultations with industry players.
The original levy was scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026 and would have applied to imported edible oils. Businesses operating across the edible oils value chain had already begun preparing for the new charge before the deferral was announced.
Under the revised timetable, importers and other stakeholders will have until the end of the year to assess the implications of the levy on their operations, pricing structures and supply chains, and to participate in broader consultations on the substantive issues surrounding the measure.
BE, which presented a consolidated industry position during its discussions with NAMBoard, argued that any measure capable of raising business costs should be subject to meaningful engagement with affected stakeholders, particularly where such costs could eventually be passed on to consumers.
The organisation also warned that the proposed levy could have consequences beyond importers, with higher costs filtering through the supply chain and ultimately affecting prices paid by consumers, at a time when businesses are already operating under significant economic pressures.
The postponement is therefore expected to provide temporary relief to the edible oils value chain while opening the door for a more substantive review of the measure before it is implemented.
Source: Times of Eswatini