Cross-border traders’ association to lobby Govt on housing

stands for its members.
CBTAZ president Mr Killer Zivhu said the initiative would also empower cross-border traders in accessing funding from financial institutions.
“From next year we have decided to take a proactive approach as the CBTAZ to ensure that our members have homes.
“We will soon be liaising with the relevant ministries so that the association gets access to unused peri-urban land across all the 10 provinces so that we can commence our housing projects.
“At the same time our members will also benefit as they will be able to use that land as security for borrowing funds from local banks,” said Mr Zivhu.
CBTAZ members and small-to-medium enterprises in general have been hard-pressed in accessing funding from local financial institutions that typically require forms of security that micro-businesses usually do not have.
The association’s initial housing scheme was launched at its year-end gala in Chiredzi last week.
In view of the prevalent liquidity crunch, both rural and urban municipalities in the country are increasingly faced with the task of generating resources for housing projects.
The CBTAZ housing initiative could play a critical role in reducing the country’s huge housing backlog, which has this year been estimated at over one million housing units.
Meanwhile, Mr Zivhu said the association was making progress in including hairdressers and barbers into their membership in view of their contribution to cross-border trade.
Mr Zivhu also lamented the decision by Finance Minister Tendai Biti to review duty on goods brought into the country by cross-border traders.