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THERE is a need for people to embark on small-scale household income generating activities to improve their livelihoods in the wake of massive closure of companies and retrenchments, a Deputy Minister has said.
Deputy Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators and Former Political Detainees, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube said this at a certificate presentation ceremony on Friday in Bulawayo where 78 people from his constituency were awarded certificates for completing a two-week course in peanut butter, candle, chips and fence making.
“We have various development programmes we have initiated in the constituency and one of those is training people on a number of income-generating projects to improve their livelihood. Bulawayo has over the last few years experienced massive de-industrilisation and the recent retrenchment exercise has rendered thousands jobless and as such there is a need for people to be imparted with the requisite skills in various projects to sustain themselves and their families,” said Rtd Col Dube who is also the Member of House of Assembly for Makokoba.
It is estimated that more than 150 companies across the country closed shop from 2010 to date due to economic challenges rendering more than 25 000 people jobless. Rtd Col Dube also said there was a need to ensure that Micro to Small and Medium Enterprises are housed in proper infrastructure.
“There are a number of people in this constituency that are into metal fabrication and are operating in the open including those that are selling their wares in open air within the confines of the city’s main long distance buses’ terminus at Renkini. We are looking at building proper factory shells and bays for such people so that they operate in conducive environments.”
The Small to Medium Enterprises Association of Zimbabwe (SMEAZ) said it was engaging stakeholders to ensure the provision of world-class infrastructure to SMEs.
“To this end, we are actively engaged with relevant stakeholders to ensure that such infrastructure becomes available. Examples of the infrastructure we are looking to get constructed include factory shells, office space and incubators.
“Apart from housing SMEs’ business, issues such as the power situation, water and sanitation and the transport network are of concern to SMEs, as their being dysfunctional increases the cost of doing business,” read part of a statement from the SMEAZ website.
Rtd Col Dube said he was also going to approach the Ministry of Small to Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development to fund some of the emerging businesses, which highlight potential for growth as a way of enabling them to operate fully.
Online Reporter