adminZimbabwe and Zambia will in August next year co-host the world’s largest tourism summit in Victoria Falls and Livingstone on the Zambian side.
Victoria Falls residents who participated during the public hearing for the forthcoming national budget at Chinotimba Hall on Friday said Finance Minister Tendai Biti should inject “significant” funding to speedily complete works in progress before the UNWTO general assembly.
Minister Biti is expected to present the 2013 fiscal policy statement on 15 November.
Players in the tourism sector and Government have called on the need to spruce up the resort town ahead of the tourism event.
Upgrading of the Victoria Falls International Airport, rehabilitation of roads in the town, as well as the construction of a $30 million conference centre are some of the projects earmarked for completion before the UNWTO general assembly starts.
“Our budget should focus on works in progress. For example, from 24 to 29 August next year, Victoria Falls will host the UNWTO general assembly. We want the works in progress to be finished before the event. The Finance Minister should inject funding for the projects,” said the Victoria Falls Town treasurer, Mr Thabani Khumalo during the public hearing.
“As Victoria Falls, we have bidded for the upgrading of our system considering that a lot of visitors will be hosted during the period,” he said.
Mr Khumalo said elsewhere in other parts of the country it was also critical to prioritise on completing outstanding works before new projects could start.
“Some of the projects were started 10 years back and up to now are still outstanding, for example, Tokwe-Murkosi and others in Lupane such as Gwaai-Shangani dam. Despite the fact that we have meager resources, why can’t we start new projects after old ones are finished?”
Hwange Local Board treasurer Mr Innocent Tshuma said the forthcoming budget should also focus on prioritising projects that support tourism as the country prepares to host the UNWTO general assembly.
“There is need for the forthcoming budget to focus on tourism and water projects as Victoria Falls hosts the UNWTO general assembly,” said Mr Tshuma, adding: “As a country, we often talk of debt relief at national level, let’s also have our 2013 national budget prioritising debt relief among Government departments.”
Another participant also urged Finance Minister to consider allocating resources to support the educational sector.
“Here (Victoria Falls) we do not have a polytechnic college. May in his budget the minister allocate resources for the construction of a polytechnic college,” said the participant.
Participants also called on the need to avail funds to resuscitate irrigation schemes in Matabeleland North.
The Matabeleland Zambezi National Water project was also cited as one of the programmes that if completed would support farmers in the province in their quest to improve agricultural output.
At the moment, farmers involved in crop production have their spirits dampened because the province is prone to successive droughts as the region receives low rainfall.
Online Reporter