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George Maponga in Bikita
THE Government has been urged to provide cheap and affordable machinery to aid the value addition drive in rural areas as part of the rural industrialisation agenda which dovetails with Vision 2030.
Contributing during a Ministry of Finance and Economic Development National Development Strategy(NDS1) information dissemination workshop at Nyika Growth Point in Bikita this afternoon residents said lack of capital to procure machinery is hampering the drive to value-add locally available resources to grow the economy and create jobs.
Bikita Business Association chair Mr Charles Musimiki noted that besides fostering value addition, there is also need to close the ideological gap to make sure local blacks comprehend fully that they are masters of their destiny.
“Value addition of locally available resources like here in Bikita where we have lots of guavas, avocados and even mangoes needs machinery and Government should assist in the procurement of that machinery so that our young people create jobs for themselves.”
“But we also need to close the ideological gap that create the presumption that blacks should only be workers instead of employers.Our education system should also produce graduates with relevant skills,” said Mr Musimiki.
Pastor Joshua Dhewa of Duma in Nyika chipped in saying Government should decentralise information services to rural areas so that the rural populace is abreast with ongoing national programmes which can benefit them.
Mr Maxwell Mashavave of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in Bikita echoed the same sentiments saying he was hearing of some available Government empowerment facilities for the first time, a situation he says is pervasive across most rural parts of Zimbabwe.
Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister Clemence Chiduwaconceded that value addition is the best foot forward to spur economic growth and expand the economy saying game-changing projects like the Mwenezi Mapfura plant should be replicated in other rural districts.
He revealed that Government had several financing facilities to help those wishing to start businesses and retool.
The Deputy Minister challenged rural communities to take advantage of Government’s devolution programme to roll out priority projects that have a bearing on the thrust to leave no place and no one behind in the quest to make Zimbabwe an upper middle income economy by 2030.
The NDS1 dissemination workshops by the Ministry of Finance are covering three districts namely Chivi, Bikita and Gutu with the curtain coming down tomorrow with the last leg to be held in the later district.
Online Reporter