Power cuts affect SMEs operations

She said power cuts were stalling SMEs business as most of them depended on electricity to do their work.

The minister bemoaned the excessive load shedding by Zesa saying it was hampering production but urged the Bulawayo Chamber of SMEs to negotiate with the authority for exemption from load shedding as they were also part of industry.

She said there was still room to increase capacity and that could only be achieved if problems affecting SMEs such as having adequate electricity were rectified.

“I understand that SMEs are facing serious power shortages with power cuts being effected from as early as 6am to 3pm. How are they expected to go about their day-to-day work without electricity.

“I therefore challenge the Bulawayo Chamber of SMEs to approach the authority and negotiate with them as SMEs are struggling as a result of that,” said Minister Nyoni at a mini exhibition and workshop for the city’s SMEs on Monday.

She said production and manufacturing were the basis for growing the economy but that could not be achieved as people were producing far lower than their expectations.

One of the small-scale business people who exhibited her wares, Mrs Emma Sibindi, said power cuts were affecting them, as they had to look for alternative sources of power to carry out their businesses.

“We do not have to wait for them to restore power as there will be orders we have to take care of so we just have to contribute money and look for alternative sources of power such as using generators.

“I am in the textile manufacturing industry and I have to constantly use electricity which is slightly expensive but there is nothing I can do as I also want to make my business viable and bigger,” said Mrs Sibindi.

Mr Thabani Maphosa who is in the leather sector said he was failing to expand his business because of the unreliable power among other problems they were facing.

He said that also contributed to the cost of production rising leading them to set prices that were higher than those of the same products on the        market.