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Brighton Gumbo, Business Reporter
BULAWAYO mayor Councillor Martin Moyo has cancelled his proposed business trip to France after council failed to bankroll his travel expenses.
Moyo was supposed to leave the country for Europe this week where he was scheduled to meet international business executives and use the platform to market the city’s investment opportunities.
“For starters the trip was at our own expense and I made a bold decision to withdraw from it as the council pursues measures of cutting down on unnecessary expenses,” Moyo told Business Chronicle.
He also said the contact person who had invited the local authority was now playing hide and seek.
“When we were communicating with the French offices concerning the ‘Prime Business Destination Forum’, which was scheduled for Cannes in France, we couldn’t get hold of the person who had sent the invite to us,” the mayor said.
“The reception to our call in France told us that the business meeting was strictly a European convention.”
As such, Moyo said the council felt that the trip to the European country should be abandoned.
Last month’s council minutes indicate Moyo was invited to attend the Prime Business Destination Forum in Cannes, France, on October 12 where he was supposed to present the city’s investment and social projects.
The mayor had vowed to take the invite as an opportunity to help put the city on the spotlight for investors.
“We’re not going to take pride in the invite but we’re going to utilise such an opportunity to create contacts with the world so that we can lure investors to the city for the revival of our industries,” said Moyo at the time.
The council also expected to receive honour from the European Business Assembly during the meeting for being a potential tourist attraction and investment destination of choice.
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