The Zimbabwe-EU Business Information Centre (Zim-EBIC), which is housed within ZimTrade’s trade information centre, has registered a 254% upsurge in usage in the first half of the year, signalling the zeal of local companies to export to the European market.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Zim-EBIC was launched in Harare and Bulawayo last year to link local companies with their European counterparts.
Information gathered from ZimTrade, the country’s export promotion body, showed that enquiries handled per month had risen from 13 in January 2015 to 46 in June 2015, with most of the enquiries being on export procedures, trade statistics and trade agreements.
“The facility has also been useful in providing up-to-date information on issues such as requirements (for example, standards, labelling and tariffs) for exporting various products to the EU market,” ZimTrade said.
Zim-EBIC is aimed at increasing the capacity of Zimbabwean business operators (exporters and importers alike) to conveniently access market intelligence on the world’s largest single market, the European Union. The platform enhances knowledge-sharing on thematic areas such as EU market intelligence, trade fairs, Eastern and Southern Africa interim economic partnership agreement and tariffs.
ZimTrade chief executive officer Sithembile Pilime recently revealed that since the launch of the Zim-EBIC last year in Harare, the monthly usage of the centre had increased by more than 100% as more companies were appreciating the improved quality of services.
