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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
Robust engagement between the Government and captains of industry is key to sustainable economic growth, Harare Metropolitan Province secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Affairs Mr Tafadzwa Muguti has said.
He made the remarks recently, during his familiarisation tour at one of the largest food processing companies in Zimbabwe, National Foods Holdings Limited.
The ongoing tours are meant to cement the relationship between the Government and captains of industry and explore the best ways of creating a conducive business environment.
Mr Muguti said it was critical to engage the business community as each province now is now responsible for its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a result of decentralisation.
“One of the key things is stakeholder engagement, for a long time we have had a lot of bureaucracy in Government but we are on a drive to put in place measures in provinces that encourage all the companies which are resident in Harare province to have a hand in glove relationship with the Government,” he said.
He added that the Second Republic was there to support the industry and build the narrative that the economy is truly being grown by domestic capital and indigenous companies.
He said Government was in a drive to visit to assess processing industries and how they are conducting their operations.
Mr Muguti added that Government was going to enforce stringent laws to curtail the smuggling of goods into the formal and informal markets.
National Foods chief executive Mr Michael Lashbrook hailed the Government for stabilising the exchange rate on the market making it viable for business operators.
“We are happy with the stabilisation in the market for the past four months,” he said.
He said they were working on a number of projects worth US$30 million to be completed within the next 18 months.
“We have exciting projects at the moment as we are moving into breakfast cereals which we are launching in November. We are going to install a biscuit and pasta plant in Aspindale.
“The estimated cost of the projects we are running for the next 18 months is about US$30 million,” he said.
Mr Lashbrook said his company was in the process of installing a new flour mill plant in Bulawayo which will be commissioned next year.
Confederation Zimbabwe Retailers president Mr Denford Mutashu who was part of the tour said the collaboration between Government and the food manufacturing industry was bearing fruit.
“We are an integral part of the value chain as the wholesale and retailers sector. We are quite happy that if you walk into most Zimbabwean shops more than 80 percent of the food is locally made indicating an increase of manufacturing capacity by local companies,” he said.
Online Reporter