adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo correspondent
MASVINGO Province is on course to localising the 10-point plan enunciated by President Mugabe recently to grow the country’s economy.
Speaking on the side-lines of the provincial economic empowerment conference at the Civic Centre in Masvingo yesterday, Kudakwashe Machako, the Director for Provincial Affairs in the Office of the Provincial Affairs Minister Shuvai Mahofa, said the province has since begun the journey towards the full implementation of the blueprint.
The President’s 10-point plan includes revitalising agriculture and the agro-processing value chain, advancing beneficiation and/or value addition to agricultural and mining resource endowments, focusing on infrastructural development particularly in the key energy, water, transport and information communication technology subsectors, and unlocking the potential of small-to-medium enterprises.
Machako said Masvingo’s emphasis is on agriculture and cited the multi-million dollar Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam as a catalyst for growth in the sector.
He said development of infrastructure remains critical to the economic empowerment of the province with the dualisation of Harare-Beitbridge Road being the major focus.
“This is the beginning towards the implementation of the 10-point plan as directed by President Robert Mugabe. As Masvingo we are on course in coming up with an economic blueprint as enunciated in the Zim-Asset together with the 10-point plan. The conference has given us a platform for mapping the way forward,” said Machako.
He said the province is endowed with many resources which if tapped can change the face of Masvingo economically. He said Masvingo is on the verge of having a cement plant in Chief Charumbira’s area where more than 4,000 villagers would be employed.
“Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam which is almost complete at about 90 percent presents us with a number of opportunities. We will get enough water for irrigation agriculture as well as power generation opportunities. This assessment of resources will also help us identify special economic zones,” he added.
During the conference district youth officers gave synopses of investment opportunities in their areas that can add value to the economic development of the province and country at large.
After the presentations the provincial technical team compiled all the information which will be used to come up with the province’s investment blueprint.
Online Reporter