‘Business hails Govt empowerment policies’

Business Reporter

LOCAL investors believe the pro-business environment created by the Government will assist in both attracting foreign direct investment and allowing local businesses to grow.

This was said by Engineer Christopher Togaraseyi, a local architect and CEO of Togaraseyi Project, on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe CEOs Network Awards held in Harare on Thursday.

Eng Togaraseyi won the Entrepreneur of the Year Platinum Award.

“The award shows that we are doing very well as local investors to build our country, but now is the right time to attract foreign investors to come to our country so that they can complement us in building our economy,” he said.

The 36-year-old businessman ventured into the construction business when he was only 24-years-old, just after completing his tertiary education as an architectural engineer in the United States of America.

He started Togaraseyi Projects with just ten workers but the company now boasts of over 300 employees.

“From my experience, I started with just ten workers, some 14 years ago, but now I have over 300 employees, meaning that our country has a good business environment.

“So I want to urge my business colleagues to play a part in luring foreign investors to come to Zimbabwe because it has a good business environment.”

The Second Republic has opened up opportunities for local businesses through deliberate investment in a massive infrastructure development programme.

Local contractors have been roped in in some major projects, as the country angles to become an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

“I want to applaud our Government for their stance on direct foreign investment and uplifting local companies. In this respect, I also want to play my part in making sure that Vision 2030 is achieved,” he said.

Togaraseyi Project is set to join forces with Chinese construction companies that are set to come to Zimbabwe by the first quarter of next year.

“We are planning to join forces with Chinese construction entities that are set to be in Zimbabwe in the first quarter of next year as a part of efforts to lure foreign investors,” he added.