Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
The Bulawayo City Council has resolved to pay Bulawayo Home Industries Craft producers in foreign currency for wares sold in forex in order to boost their morale.
The artistes are housed at the Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre which was founded in 1963 to empower less privileged women and youths with survival and hand craft skills.
According to the latest council minutes, councillors said artists were being short-changed as they were being paid through bank transfers despite selling some of their craft in foreign currency.
The minutes said there were buyers who requested that the producers be paid in foreign currency for goods sold in forex to motivate them.
“. . . craft producers and foreign buyers had requested that craft producers be paid in foreign currency for orders received from foreign buyers.
“They noted that paying craft producers in local currency for orders invoiced in foreign currency from foreign buyers demoralised and disenfranchised the craft producers.
“This was likely to threaten the craft production process at the centre as the level of discontentment had led to reduced production, low morale and some producers had reportedly quit,” read the minutes.
“The centre received orders in foreign currency from foreign buyers and local orders paid for in local currency or any currency within the multicurrency options available.
“All along the section had been paying craft producers through bank transfers using local currency.”
The minutes said when an item is sold, some of the money is used to pay the artist, buy raw materials and pay for other things.
“The money generated from craft sales was used for several purposes such as procurement of raw materials in order to sustain production and some was used to pay craft producers for their work and the rest was retained by the section.
“For each product sold, 40 percent went to the craft producers, 25 percent was for raw materials and the remaining 35 percent was retained by the section.”
After deliberations, the council acceded to pay artistes in foreign currency.
“The Chamber Secretary referred the Committee to the recommendation of the Health, Housing and Education Committee that the craft producers be paid in foreign currency for orders that would have been invoiced in foreign currency and on the other hand, local orders invoiced in local currency be paid for using the local currency,” said the minutes.
During the full council meeting on Wednesday, the councillors adopted the recommendations. — @bonganinkunzi
Online Reporter