Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Business Reporter
THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has cancelled its planned business conference with the Rwanda business delegation, which was scheduled for Harare today.
This follows suspension of inbound and outbound flights from Southern Africa by Western countries citing heightened risk following the detection of the deadly variant in neighbouring South Africa.
The Rwandan government has also suspended direct flights to Southern Africa and this affects flights by Rwanda’s national carrier to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lusaka and Harare.
“CZI would like to advise of the cancellation of the planned Rwanda Zimbabwe Business Conference, which was scheduled for the 29th of November at Rainbow Towers, Harare as the Rwanda team travel documents were made complex by the recently discovered Omicron variant in South Africa,” said the largest industry body in a latest update yesterday.
“As a result of this heightened Covid-19 risk, several flights bound for Southern Africa were cancelled.”
The conference was meant to facilitate increased business synergies between Zimbabwe and Rwanda and affording opportunity for delegate to explore presented business opportunities.
The meeting is a follow up to the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoU) between CZI and Rwanda Private Sector Federation in September this year.
“The visit by the Rwanda Business is aimed at exploring business opportunities in the Zimbabwean market and discuss opportunities for local businesses in the Rwanda market,” said CZI earlier.
The discussions were meant to centre on new investment and trade opportunities for Rwanda/Zimbabwe businesses in both markets while exploring opportunities for synergies and partnership in value addition and processing of various commodities.
Rwandan delegates have expressed interest in chilli processing, renewable energy, soya beans and sunflower processing, construction and engineering, mining, agriculture, textiles and apparels.
Zimbabwe and Rwanda have sealed five MoUs that are set to transform economic relations between the two countries in information and communication technology (ICT), e-Government, agriculture and livestock development, tourism and business events, environment and climate change, and another between CZI and the Rwanda Private sector.
The two states are members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). – @SikhulekelaniM1.
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