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Harare Bureau
The Parliamentary Portfolio on Industry and Commerce has expressed concern over the allocation of $47,6 million towards the Ministry of Industry and Commerce when it had indicated that it required $306 million.
The committee’s chair and Chiredzi West Member of Parliament Cde Dumo Musikavanhu expressed concern that the permanent secretary in the ministry Mrs Abigail Shonhiwa had expressed satisfaction with the allocation which had a huge deficit.
“We were allocated $47,6 million instead of the $306 million we required,” she said. “We received only 9 percent of the money we required for industrialisation.”
Mrs Shonhiwa said there were possibilities that the money could have been channelled to the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency which was no longer under her ministry.
The committee could not understand why the permanent secretary was content with the small allocation when the Ministry was key in economic development and creation of employment.
Cde Musikavanhu said the Ministry was key as it was also tasked with the boosting of industrialisation which required more money for retooling of equipment.
He said this had an impact in the creation of employment as locals will only have the capacity to employ if the industries were recapitalised.
“This is the Industry and Commerce budget, if the secretary does not have answers, then we have to call the Minister to come and give us answers,” said Cde Musikavanhu.
Chiredzi North MP, Cde Roy Bhila said: “If we do not industrialise then we will not create employment.”
The Grain Millers’ Association also appeared before the same committee and called on Government to maintain the price of wheat to millers at $310 per tonne to ensure that the price of bread remains unchanged.
GMAZ chairman, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, expressed concern that millers were expecting Government to address the issue of wheat producer price.
“We expected the budget statement to make pronouncement on the GMB producer prices of wheat that was harvested recently,” he said.
“At the moment there is no price and farmers are asking for a price of $730 per tonne against millers buying price of $310 per tonne. This means there will be a subsidy.
“Given the sensitivity around pricing of staple food commodities that we produce, we expected the budget to give counsel in respect of ceilings on key cost drivers such as labour, electricity and water charges.”
The committee felt that some issues that were being raised by Mr Musarara such as Command Agriculture funding, subsidy arrangements for the Grain marketing Board and restructuring of the GMB were for the Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.
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