ZimTrade hosts Annual Exporters’ Conference

Business Reporter
ZIMTRADE today hosts the Annual Exporters’ Conference and Exporter of the Year Awards in Harare with participants expected to deliberate on key strategies to improving export earnings for the country.

More than 200 delegates drawn from the private sector — both existing and emerging exporters — Government, academia, business membership organisations and development co-operation partners are expected to attend the event, organisers said.

Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Mike Bimha, will be the guest of honour at the conference, which runs under the theme: “Building Synergised Pillars for Export Competitiveness”.

The thrust of the gathering is inspired by the need for a co-ordinated approach among all stakeholders towards export competitiveness.

“The theme takes into cognisance the current operating business environment and seeks to address pertinent issues such as the availability of affordable export finance and the role of policy in enhancing exports,” said ZimTrade.

“Considering the highly competitive nature of the global market, the conference deliberations will focus on how best to integrate pillars for export competitiveness.”

Other speakers include Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Dr John Mangudya, a representative from the Rwanda Development Board and a consultant from Kenya who are expected to share experiences of how the export environment of their economies have transformed and assist in the development of proposals for enhancing export competitiveness.

The conference will be capped by the exporter of the year awards dinner in the evening. The objective of the awards, said ZimTrade, is to acknowledge and appreciate efforts by companies who managed to continue exporting despite the difficult operating environment. A corporate golf tournament will be held tomorrow to mark the end of the programme.