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The Government has bought wares worth $115 000 from small to medium enterprises exhibiting at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly in Victoria Falls.
The Government’s gesture followed complaints by SMEs that business during the general assembly had been poor with almost all of them failing to record sales. SMEs told Chronicle on Tuesday that they had not made brisk sales as they had anticipated.
More than 300 SMEs were exhibiting wares such as shoes, wallets, belts and a variety of curios and incurred huge costs to set up their exhibitions.
In a statement, deputy chief secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Retired Colonel Christian Katsande said in line with its policy to support and promote SMEs, the Government intervened and bought wares and curios from the SMEs after realising that the delegates had failed to find time to visit the exhibition because of a tight schedule.
“On the sidelines of the UNWTO general assembly, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) was tasked to work closely with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the Ministries of Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development and Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development and the corporate sector to put up an exhibition of local products. This initiative resulted in about 300 SMEs drawn from across the country exhibiting their wares,” said Rtd Col Katsande.
He said the general assembly programme was so intense that delegates did not have adequate time to tour and possibly buy SMEs products. “In addition the delegates undertook technical and social tours to Great Zimbabwe, Mpisi Village, Hwange National Park, Gushungo Dairy Project, the Orphanage Project in Mazoe and the National Heroes Acre.
“This necessitated the intervention of Government to buy some items from the exhibition to be given to the delegates as gifts. Government mobilised financial resources to the tune of $115 000 towards this project. This is in line with Government policy to support and promote SMEs to grow as enunciated in the Zanu-PF manifesto.”
According to exhibitors they were paid between $300 and $350 depending on where they lived.
The exhibitors said while they welcomed the Government’s gesture, the money was too little.
Bulawayo provincial development officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs Mrs Vaidah Mashangwa commended the Government for buying the wares and curios from the exhibitors. She said the money would go some way in helping them offset their expenses.
“A lot of people especially women were exhibiting here and some of them managed to sell something while others failed. The Government then bought some of the wares from them and now they have some money,” she said.
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