‘Linkages vital for investment’

Prosper Ndlovu Business Editor
ACTING President Emmerson Mnangagwa says increased linkages between the business community, industry professionals and technocrats are critical in unlocking fresh investment opportunities that can turn around the country’s economy.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of State in his office, Clifford Sibanda, during the official opening of the 2015 Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Energy (WASHen) expo in Bulawayo yesterday, Acting President Mnangagwa said research-based approaches were the panacea for improved socio-economic transformation.

He said the government’s economic blue-print, Zim-Asset required innovative research and development interventions for enhancing “competitiveness and good quality of life”.

“Come up with time-framed, actionable and results-based resolutions that will help raise the quality of life of people in Zimbabwe,” said the Acting President.

He said a robust development of water, sanitation, energy and hygiene infrastructure was critical to empowerment of ordinary Zimbabweans and economic prosperity.

Acting President Mnangagwa said a fusion of information communication technologies and public private partnerships must be adopted to make Zimbabwe a preferred destination for the much needed foreign direct investment.

“Engineers and technicians should be innovative, creative and inventive in order to solve infrastructural and other development challenges that are facing the country,” he said.

“What’s more critical is how local and central authorities, industry professionals and technocrats and NGOs can work together. The galaxy of experts and specialists … will be able to come up with tangible results on the way forward.

The Acting President said the infrastructure gap was a major drawback to economic progress hence the focus on PPPs as a favourable option.

He said exploiting internal relationships and linkages between various facets of the economy, in line with the cluster-based Zim-Asset approach, was paramount.

While acknowledging the existing economic bottlenecks and suppressed growth, Acting President Mnangagwa stressed the need for joint efforts between the government, business, the private sector, individual experts and research institutions in bringing about the desired transformation.

Speaking at the same occasion Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said opportunities abound in the WASHen sectors, which if properly exploited, could be major enablers for vibrant economic growth.

Several government dignitaries, local authorities, the civic society, civil engineers are participating in the event, which ends today.

Today the participants would be taken through a guided tour of the Bulawayo City Council water and sanitation projects.

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company is organising the event in partnership with SNV Zimbabwe.