Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT is working on improving the transport infrastructure countrywide to improve logistics competitiveness and market accessibility while reducing the cost of doing business.
Transport and Infrastructure Development Deputy Minister, Joshua Sacco, said this at the inaugural Competitiveness Summit that ended in Bulawayo yesterday.
He said improving the transport sector efficiencies makes it easy for businesses to transport raw materials, access markets, enhance accessibility and attract investments into the country.
“Improved transport infrastructure lowers our costs making it easy for business to transport raw materials, access markets and enhance accessibility,” said Deputy Minister Sacco.
He said following President Mnangagwa’s extension of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme to December 2026, a lot of work on upgrades of critical roads including Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Road is underway.
Other flagship projects include the rehabilitation of the Shurugwi-Mhandamabwe Road, modernisation of Beitbridge Border Post and the Trabablas Interchange, which is nearing completion.
Deputy Minister Sacco said going forward the Government, through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development will soon start work on the rehabilitation of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, Harare to Nyamapanda including upgrading the border post, Chirundu Road and border post expansion, among other roads.
“The Beitbridge Border Post has been upgraded as a pilot project and we intend to use the same model to upgrade Chirundu, Nyamapanda, Plumtree and Victoria Falls,” he said.
Deputy Minister Sacco said as part of improving logistics competitiveness, Government was working on recapitalisation of the National Railways of Zimbabwe because its cheaper to transport goods by rail compared to using road transport.
“We are looking at replacing rolling stock and locomotives repairs among other works to revive the NRZ. There is also an opportunity for investment in linking Lion’s Den to Kapfuwe to enable the movement of freight by rail.
“The feasibility study for this project has been completed and towards the end of last year the President Cde Mnangagwa and his counterparts from Mozambique and Botswana signed this US$6 billion dollar project.”
He said the corridor will be a game changer for the region and Government is looking at connecting the Manhize plant to Nyazura to move freight from road to rail.
On the aviation sector, Deputy Minister Sacco said the upgrade of the Robert Mugabe International Airport increased its capacity from 2,5 million passengers to 6 million passengers annually while and Victoria Fall Airport has also been upgraded.
“We are looking at the upgrade of the Bulawayo runway, Charles Prince and construction of a new airport in Mutare and the upgrade of Buffalo Range airport, Masvingo, Hwange, and others,” he said.
The Competitiveness Summit, which is hosted by the National Competition Commission (NCC) ran under the theme: “Building Sustainability Towards Enhanced Productivity and Competitiveness in Zimbabwe” and is was officially opened by President Mnangagwa yesterday. —@SikhulekelaniM
Bongani Ndlovu