Govt applauds women in business
TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza has applauded women in business for their significant contribution as Zimbabwe eyes attaining an empowered and prosperous middle-class income society by 2030.
Speaking at virtual Women in Business Leadership Roundtable last week, Nzenza said it was gratifying to see women occupying spaces in Zimbabwe’s highly diversified industrial sector consisting of 94 sub-sectors that include food, drink, and tobacco, clothing and textiles, wood and furniture and leather and footwear, among others.
“It is my deepest desire that we find more women occupying these spaces in the industry,” Nzenza said.
She said the government has launched the Zimbabwe National Industrialisation Development Policy which is premised upon the deliberate decision taken by the government to open the country for business, modernise, industrialise and promote investment, with the ultimate goal attaining broad-based economic empowerment, inclusive economic growth and employment creation.
She said women should network and attend business chambers so they do not miss out on trends, adding that they should be “innovative and make use of modern technologies to push forward industrialisation”.
“Technological advancement and innovation are key to improving productivity and competitiveness of locally manufactured products,” Nzenza said.
She added that government offers incentives to stimulate innovation to support promising technological or scientific fields.
“Government, through Industrial Development Corporation, is making strides in assisting companies with funding for viable projects.
“Public-private research institutes are not an exception to be receiving support from the government including the Scientific and Industrial Research Development Centre to push forward the creation of a strong knowledge base and establish a strong research and innovation network,” Nzenza said.
She said provision of alternative markets should be fully exploited as it benefits the business community and the nation at large.
“In view of market expansion for businesses, the government has since signed and ratified the African Union Free Trade Area which seeks to boost intra-Africa trade,” Nzenza said.
The trade pact could boost regional income by 7% or US$$450bn, speed up wage growth for women, and lift 30m people out of extreme poverty by 2035 if implemented fully, according to the World Bank.
