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Livingstone Marufu —
GOVERNMENT is ready to assist the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) to obtain all compliance certificates together with onsite and offsite infrastructure services such as water, roads and sewer to ensure the construction of the regional bank’s Southern Africa offices is done swiftly.

Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere, said this last week during the handover of title deeds to senior Afreximbank officials in Harare.

“. . . the ministry in conjunction with the City of Harare will facilitate that all the regulatory approvals needed by the bank to start construction of its offices are processed in the shortest period of time.

“I am aware that the bank needs a compliance certificate to start the construction of the offices once the building plans have been approved.

“My ministry will work closely with City of Harare in ensuring that all the necessary onsite and offsite infrastructure services, namely water, access road and sewer, are put in place . . .” said Minister Kasukuwere.

Afreximbank, which has been working closely with Government through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Ministry of Finance, was allocated a stand measuring 1,2 hectares to construct state-of-the-art offices in the country.

The bank got the land for free, realising the role it is playing in turning around the economy. The offices will be situated in Newlands, a few kilometres north-east of Harare’s central business district. Minister Kasukuwere said he will keep his “door open” for Afreximbank, especially when construction eventually begins.

“To the Afreximbank, I would like to say my door is open if you encounter any problems with authorities that fall under my purview, in the construction of your state-of-the-art centre.

“The Government would want to see the construction of the offices going on smoothly until completion.

“It is also essential that once construction works start, your contractors work closely with our city engineers so that the construction works are not disturbed by delays in stage inspections,” said Minister Kasukuwere.

He assured Afreximbank that there would be no regulatory hindrances during the construction of the offices, but urged the Cairo-based bank to submit its building and related plans that require City of Harare approval, on time.

Afreximbank plans to develop a one-stop-shop office in Newlands, which is expected to transform Zimbabwe into an intra-African trade hub where major trade and investment deals would be struck.

The bank aims to create a mini business park for African trade, large auditorium or conference centre, trade information centre, corporate rental office space for trade promoting bodies, small business innovation and incubation hub, upmarket furnished offices and high end shops and restaurants.

Afreximbank president Dr Bennedict Oramah, said the complex will help the country to be the centre of region trade.

“The formalisation of the land allocation is happening at a time when the bank has set out to develop and implement a concept for the transformation of Afreximbank’s existing and future buildings into iconic business complexes with integrated one-stop trade services shop to be branded ‘Afreximbank-Africa Trade Centre’ (ATCT).

“I am pleased to note that Zimbabwe will be the first beneficiary of this concept.

“The project, when completed, will transform Zimbabwe into an intra-African trade hub; a centre of knowledge and information about markets; a centre where major trade and investment deals can be struck,” said Dr Oramah.

The project promises to expand the scope of the business tourism in Zimbabwe and will also accelerate the transformation of the neighbourhood into a business district.

Zimbabwe is the third biggest shareholder in Afreximbank after Nigeria — the largest shareholder — and Egypt.