BY SILISIWE MABALEKA ZIMBABWE International Trade Fair (ZITF) chairperson Busisa Moyo has called for the promotion of the local manufacturing industry to stop exports of raw materials which is impoverishing the country.
Moyo made the remarks while presenting a paper on Wednesday last week at the Mine Entra conference held at ZITF grounds in Bulawayo.
The main objective of the conference was to find possible ways of stopping job exports. The conference focused on mineral extraction, transport and engineering sectors to help equip related industries with the necessary information to benefit the country to attain an upper-middle income economy by 2030.
“We are looking at how we can support the mining industry in relation to contributing to Zimbabwe’s economy and its support services which are engineering and transport sectors. We are satisfied with this year’s exhibition, it is quite impressive,” Moyo said.
“The named industries showed a vision towards reaching the US$12 billion economy envisaged by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. We are now halfway to getting to the target point. We are happy as ZITF to bring people together so that they discuss, and share ideas and knowledge to ensure that the President’s vision becomes a reality. US$2,4 billion is being used by those in the mining industry for extraction purposes, we envisage that the money is used to buy local equipment.”
Moyo added that Africa exported raw materials to the whole world, but had nothing to show for it. Over 160 exhibitors attended the Mine Entra exhibition, which was officially opened on Wednesday by Mnangagwa.
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