admin
Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) is set to launch Zimbabwe’s country industrialisation programme to revitalise industrial growth through value addition and beneficiation across value chains in all sectors of the economy.
The country industrialisation programme will be launched during the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) annual congress to be held in Bulawayo at the end of the month.
Addressing journalists during a press conference in Bulawayo on Wednesday, CZI president Mr Busisa Moyo said:
“The congress will also see the launch of the Unido country industrialisation programme. This is a very significant thing in the history of Zimbabwe because Unido pulled out of Zimbabwe many, many years ago.
“They’re back to launch a country programme, an industrailisation programme which for us at CZI we’ve been part of under value chains initiatives and we’ve been in discussion with Unido from last year”.
The CZI annual congress will be held from July 27 to 29 under the theme, “Strengthening value chains for sustainable industrialisation and economic development”.
Mr Moyo said Zimbabwe needs a programme to stimulate export generation through the promotion of value chains as enunciated in the 10-Point Plan announced by President Mugabe in August last year.
“So, this country programme will be focusing on value chains, which is the subject of the congress. Value chains are also on 10-Point Plan.
“Industry is adopting that because all economies that have been able to reduce poverty have gone through an industrialisation programme. When we talk of poverty reduction you can’t divorce economic emergence and industrialisation.
“So, we’re welcoming Unido, at our congress they’re going to be launching the country programme for industrialisation focusing on value addition and beneficiation,” he said.
“We also see this country programme as a big boost for industrialisation and employment creation. I don’t want to pre-empt that, today isn’t the launch.”
Responding to questions, Mr Moyo said CZI believes if launched, the country industrialisation programme would be unique compared to Zimbabwe’s other economic programmes in making significant impact in promoting industrial growth and development.
“We believe it (programme) is going to be different in several ways. The first way is that this programme is Unido – the private sector and the government working together from day one.
“As I said, our biggest challenge as a country is consensus building; we don’t know how to build consensus to get the right people around the table . . . somebody can come up with a brilliant programme but unless it’s owned by the country it’s going to be very difficult; CZI is an independent body, we’re not government and that’s one of the reasons why I believe Unido has decided to go to the private sector to launch it.”
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo