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Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT yesterday received information and communication technology equipment worth over US$280 000 from the European Union cooperation continues at a technical level.
The 71 laptops, 10 heavy-duty printers, 45 desktop printers, 2 sets of visual conferencing equipment and 12 global positioning system tablets and valued at US$288 000 are to enhance operations in three ministries and four agencies of Government.
The equipment was procured under the EU Technical Assistance to the Zimbabwe Economic Partnership Agreement (ZEPA) for the beneficiary organisations which are predominantly Government.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ambassador James Manzou said the range of ICT equipment will further enhance the operational capacity of the recipient ministries and agencies, while promoting the digitisation drive for efficient service delivery.
“Beyond enhancing organisational efficiency, this equipment will also spur our nation’s growth to become an upper middle-income economy by 2030,” Ambassador Manzou said.
“The realisation of this vision also requires streamlined procedures, as part of improving the ease of doing business which, again, hinges on use of ICT for improved service delivery.
“The beneficiaries of the equipment are Government ministries and agencies, namely Ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, of Industry and Commerce and of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, plus the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the National Economic Consultative Forum, the Competition and Tariff Commission and the National Competitiveness Commission.”
He said the history of the Economic Partnership Agreement, which was the anchor upon which the Technical Assistance to the Zimbabwe Economic Partnership Agreement was built upon dated way back to August 2009, when Zimbabwe signed the interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU as a member of the group of five Eastern and Southern Africa States which include Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.
The Agreement covers the areas of trade, fisheries and economic development cooperation.
The iEPA Agreement provides Zimbabwe with duty and quota-free market access to the EU, while foreseeing gradual liberalisation of 80 percent on EU imports as well as spur integration into the regional and international trading system, with a view to unlock the much needed investment and resources for economic development.
In order to realise the desired impacts of the iEPA and the World Trade Organisation Trade Facilitation Agreement, Zimbabwe signed the ZEPA with the EU in January 2017. The EU made a financial contribution of €10 million towards technical assistance for implementing the project.
The technical assistance covers the procurement of supplies, provision of grants to business support organisations and micro, small and medium enterprises associations, among others.
EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Jobst von Kirchmann said: “It is encouraging to see trade between Zimbabwe and the EU increasing. We believe that technology can play a critical role in driving growth and innovation in the trade sector, and we are proud to be able to provide these essential tools to help Zimbabwean trade succeed.”
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