Chronicle Editor
Kiyapili Sibanda, Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT has showered praises on small-scale miners for their support for locally produced products.
Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Mike Bimha said local procurement was critical towards building a solid economy through import substitution.
Speaking in Bulawayo during the Mine Entra exhibition last week, the minister said small-scale miners had shown great faith in locally produced equipment. He said during a tour of small scale miners in Hope Fountain, 90 percent of the equipment being supplied to them was locally manufactured in Bulawayo.
“I was really impressed when I was taken for a tour of small scale miners in Hope Fountain that the equipment that has been supplied to them is not imported. 90 percent of that material is locally produced coming from here in Bulawayo and it is only 10 percent that is imported,” said Dr Bimha.
“When we support local producers and when we resist the temptation of importing and importing, we should get away from the yesteryear when we thought importing was the order of the day to the extent of importing drinking water. We should move away from that and continue producing things for ourselves.”
He told delegates that the country has the capacity to manage its economy and challenged local manufacturers to play their part.
Dr Bimha said small scale miners have a big role to play in terms of economic turnaround. Meanwhile, small-scale miners have said they will surpass the 12 tonne gold production target set for this year on the back of increased support from the Government.
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