Business urged to spearhead community development

Bindura Correspondent
The business community should help bring development to local communities, Vice President Mujuru has said.
Officially opening the NSSA Commercial Centre in Bindura on Thursday, VP Mujuru said public-private-partnerships were the solution to Zimbabwe’s development.
“I note and appreciate the pivotal role NSSA has been playing in infrastructure development particularly in commercial and housing structures, participating in public-private-partnership, money market investments and stock in developing the nation.
“NSSA’s involvement in infrastructure development will ensure growth of small urban centres and it will have a very positive impact in attracting investment.
“This state of the art commercial centre brings a variety of benefits to various interest groups in Bindura.
“Some business sectors that were not so easily accessible to the community are now available thus farmers and communities in this area no longer need to travel as far as Harare for their requirements since a Commercial Centre has been opened,” she said.
NSSA has been involved in various development projects in small towns, including the US$22 million Beitbridge Hotel.
“I am pleased to note that as part of it’s involvement in communities, NSSA completed the servicing of 770 high-density housing stands and constructed 250 houses in Marondera.
“Here in Mashonaland Central, NSSA financed the construction of houses in Shamva through CABS.
“In Harare it has just completed servicing 490 housing stands in Glaudina medium-density surburb,” she said.
The Glaudina project will see NSSA service 1 500 stands and there are plans to service 600 high-density stands in Masvingo this year.
NSSA will also service 700 high-density stands in Bulawayo in the last quarter of 2011.
“NSSA has injected about US$130 million into indigenous banks for on-lending to local manufacturing companies.
“This injection assisted in stabilising and reducing interest rates on the money markets and over 200 local companies in the manufacturing sector benefited and are still benefiting from this facility.”
VP Mujuru urged Mashonaland Central Governor and Resident Minister, Advocate Martin Dinha, the provincial leadership, the business community and residents to make maximum use of the new NSSA centre.
Governor Dinha encouraged NSSA to continue with such national development projects.