ZIMTRADE, the country’s export promotion body, says it will take advantage of the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) to host an export awareness seminar aimed at coaching companies on how to access market intelligence through its modernised Trade Information Centre.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
The seminar will run under the theme Energising Zimbabwe’s Export Growth.
In a statement yesterday, ZimTrade revealed that given the current national trade performance, which is characterised by an unsustainable trade deficit of $3,3 billion as at December 31 2014, the need to promote export-led growth was crucial.
“The focus of ZimTrade’s participation will be on coaching companies on how to access market intelligence through its modernised Trade Information Centre,” said ZimTrade.
“The transformation of the Trade Information Centre has placed ZimTrade in a strong position to enhance service delivery as well as provide competitive intelligence free of charge to clients, particularly existing and potential exporters,” it added. The Zimbabwe-Europe Business Information Centre (Zim-EBIC) was recently launched in Bulawayo to link local companies with their European counterparts.
The platform will enhance knowledge sharing on thematic areas such as European Union market intelligence, trade fairs; ESA-EU interim economic partnership agreement (ESA-iEPA) and tariffs.
ZimTrade said on-line market access information was now easily retrievable and availed to exporters.
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“Clients can now fully utilise the market access tools such as trade map, market access map and standards map to facilitate informed management decisions. Companies are urged to visit the ZimTrade stand, which will be located in Hall 4, to familiarise themselves with the tools,” said ZimTrade.
The export promotion body will also utilise the trade fair to disseminate information on its product and service portfolios. This includes information on the reviewed and rebranded Marketing and Branding for International Competitiveness (MBIC) Training Programme, formerly known as the Export Marketing Training Programme (EMTP), said ZimTrade.
ZimTrade will also facilitate the participation of six small to medium scale enterprises (SMEs) at ZITF. It revealed that those companies were drawn from the clothing, footwear, arts and crafts as well as engineering sectors. The objective of facilitating SMEs is to develop and nurture them into viable export entities.
ZITF will hold sector-specific exhibitions — A’sambeni Africa Business Tourism Expo, Scholastica and Pakprint — to run alongside the main fair.
The 56th annual edition will be held from today to May 2 under the theme “Simulating Trade: Seizing opportunities to accelerate growth”.
Zambian President Edgar Lunga is expected to officially open the trade fair, a major highlight on Bulawayo’s calendar.
