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By Joyce Mukucha
Developing a robust industrial and commercial sector is vital for import substitution and crucial following Zimbabwe’s ratification of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) in 2019, a government official has said.
Officially opening the Buy Zimbabwe-Buy Local Summit in Harare yesterday, Vice President who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, Constantino Chiwenga said it was high time Zimbabwe make concerted efforts in as much as producing local products and services is concerned as he urged the private sector to come on board in support of government to build a vibrant economy.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area presents great opportunities for the country to spread its wings beyond the SADC region and reach out to new markets. As a nation we need to take up our position in the so that we do not end up only getting imports from other countries, which will drive our local products. In essence, we need to invest in efficient manufacturing processes that will give us a competitive edge over the rest of the continent. Once we become competitive, opportunities for our manufacturing sector are endless,” said Chiwenga.
He said government was committed to ensure that any bottlenecks obstructing the business operating environment are dealt with decisively.
“To this end, we have come up with interim measures aimed at promoting local industries at the backdrop of imported products, which had taken the centre stage in the past decade. Some of the measures include the removal of a number of locally produced goods from the Open General Import License(OGIL), by way of gazetting statutory instruments and Extensive consultation with industry and other key stakeholders.
“We can not be seen importing inputs when we have the capacity to produce and support the projects being implimented therefore the private sector should come on board in support of government to build the Zimbabwe we want for our people. I’m glad to inform you that Government is the process of rolling-out and implimenting the Consumer Protection Act (Chapter 14:14). This will compliment the Competition Act(Chapter 14:28) whose thrust is to ensure that consumers are protected from unfair trade practices.”
Government, he said, was also in the process of implimenting the ease of doing business reforms which seek to improve the business operating environment thereby positively impacting on the country’s global competitiveness.
“Indeed, the task of reviving the local industry augurs well with Buy Zimbabwe’s Buy Local initiative. You may recall that before the promulgation or afromentioned instruments, there was a massive displacement of locally produced goods from the market as a result of an influx of cheap imported products. Government is currently implimenting the ease of doing business reforms. I wish to highlight that a number of key projects are being implimented by Government, notably our road construction where the bulk of the cement being used is produced by our local industries.”
Minister Chiwenga commended Buy Zimbabwe Trust for organizing the events which he said seek to promote domestic production and consumption in line with the Local Content Strategy and the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2019-2023.
“These important documents spell out the policies and strategies to drive the country’s industrialization Agenda for the period 2019-2023. The Local Content Strategy aims to promote local value addition and linkages through the utilization of domestic resources.”
In the agricultural sector, he said there was need for industries to increase production of agro-chemicals and fertilizers.
In line with this, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos said agriculture is the backbone of Zimbabwean economy as it the potential to contribute 20 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
“Agriculture provides for 33% of our formal employment, 40% if the raw material requirement to agro-industries and accounts or the livelihoods of 67% of our population. Therefore, developing agriculture remains Zimbabwe’s most direct route to reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition,” he said.