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Pride Mahlangu, Business Reporter
A CHINESE business delegation will be in Bulawayo today to visit selected companies and scout for potential investment opportunities.
Although more details could not be availed about the delegation, Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Judith Ncube, confirmed the visit in a telephone interview yesterday.
“I don’t have full details but we welcome them, hopefully our business community will benefit from the engagements,” she said.
The visit is expected to expose Bulawayo to the world as a favourable investment destination, especially to potential investors from the Asian economic giant, which has recently increased its footprint across Africa.
Minister Ncube also hoped the visit will bear fruits as she acknowledged that most of the pledges made by foreign delegations that have come over time to Bulawayo, have failed to materialise.
“We have had some investors visiting Bulawayo but we haven’t seen much, but we are just keeping our fingers crossed that with this delegation coming in tomorrow we are definitely convinced that we will engage each other,” she said.
Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister, Raji Modi, also confirmed the visit and said he would join the delegation.
Despite the closure of several firms in recent years, Bulawayo remains the country’s prime manufacturing hub and hopes are high the city will attract more foreign direct investment after being designated as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The demise of the city’s firms in the last decade or so has resulted in widespread loss of jobs. — @pridesinstinctz
Online Reporter