Bulawayo hosts business Indaba to address state of manufacturing sector

THE state of the manufacturing sector and the ease of doing business in Matabeleland and Bulawayo are the focus of a business engagement taking place today in Bulawayo.

Government officials and industry leaders in Matabeleland have gathered at a local hotel in Bulawayo to assess the state of the manufacturing sector and the ease of doing business in the region.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Bulawayo Judith Ncube and several captains of industry are in attendance.

Minister Ndlovu is scheduled to deliver a keynote address focusing on driving business growth through strategic industry partnerships and reflections on the BRICS Forum and offer key insights for Zimbabwe’s Industrial Development.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) Matabeleland chamber president Mr Stephen Ncube is expected to address reviving Matabeleland industry and opportunities for new industries while past Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce deputy president Mr Golden Muoni will tackle ease of doing business: Formal versus informal sector.

Over the years, the region had suffered severe de-industrialisation since the turn of the millennium as several big companies either closed their shops or relocated to Harare due to different challenges, leaving thousands of people jobless.

The situation was worsened by the imposition of illegal Western sanctions, which cripple trade relations and the supply of critical imports and equipment.

However, the coming in of the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa in 2018 has revived investment interest through several ease-of-doing-business policies, which have seen several companies being revived while others have increased production with foreign investors also coming on board.

The Government has also been assisting companies to retool; hence, a significant number of businesses are back in production and creating employment through diversification of operating models.-chroncile