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Government needs to start supporting local industries such as Quest Motors to ensure the success of Zim-Asset

Vandudzayi Zirebwa Buy Zimbabwe
THE obsession with negative aspects of our situation in Zimbabwe is extremely retrogressive and detrimental to the country’s well being.
Instead of celebrating our success, however, small, it has become second nature to cry and moan about almost everything.
The result can only be misery and a worsening of the situation. In the United States of America, they call this phenomenon, speaking yourself into depression.
In Zimbabwe this phenomenon seems to be fast entrenching itself despite the silver linings that occasionally come out just to indicate that our economy is still very much alive.

Yes, we have challenges affecting most of our companies but it is not all doom and gloom. Companies such as Turnall would tell you their sales increased by 30 percent in May, with subsequent increases coming in the next month.

They look forward to a favourable economic outlook as the year progresses.
Economists who have been tracking the trends have cited the tobacco inflows as well as some residual foreign direct income that came through the stock exchange as the primary saviours.

Even while we still insist that we are not using our limited United States dollars productively and must significantly cut down on imports, with deficit still high at $1,4 billion, there has been downward push since 2013.

The Herald of the past week did well to pick on that issue and highlighting on positive movement in the import bill.
David whitehead, has also announced plans to resume operations at a time the textile industry in Zimbabwe has been decimated by cheap imports.

It is pleasing that the textile giant, which has capacity to employ 5000 people, has also attracted the attention of our legislators who are now beginning to advocate for the reduction in inflows of cheap imports.

Of course one hopes they go beyond simply calling on the border authorities to tighten controls but realise that our problems are multifaceted.
The policy and legislative environment is very liberal and does not promote buying Zimbabwean products.

Our porous borders have made it easy for people to smuggle good into the country. Government too and even Parliament are also occasionally caught offside by taking taxpayers money to buy foreign luxurious vehicles.

A case-in-point is the purchasing of Ford Ranger vehicles for legislators. These cars have been procured at the expense of national industry and commerce.
Only last week Quest Motors took Government officials on a tour of their assembly line in Mutare to demonstrate their capacity to produce competitively.

Their only challenge is that Government which has the mandate to drive Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) by promoting entrepreneurship and employment creation has been ignoring them.

Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries where Government has shares is presently on its knees because of the same reason.
In essence while the message from Parliament is surely welcome and adds to the economic growth momentum, it must be one that is comprehensive enough to ensure Zimbabwe win the war against cheap and often times substandard imports.

It is also most encouraging that Parliament has now called Buy Zimbabwe to appear before its Portfolio Committee of Industry and Commerce to proffer solutions on how our country can make useful programmes of buying local.

We also have encouraging signs from the mining sector, where marginal price increases are now being recorded in gold, platinum and nickel.
This sector is holding its annual Mine Entra programme at the ZITF with a major focus on examining ways and means of supporting local procurement.

Sadly, its only the likes of Mimosa Mining company and Zimplats that have taken bold and measurable efforts directed at buying from local suppliers.
The rest of the mining sector have chosen to either be silent on the matter or hide behind the now tired argument that says all local manufacturers are in bad state or provide expensive products and services.

In the absence of a legislative framework that compels companies to procure locally, most miners have seen no reason to work out deliberate plans and actions to boast the capacity of local industry to supply them with goods that meet their specifications.

Also because mining is dominated by foreign players, what we have seen is preference to suppliers that are part of the global network. These are more trusted despite them charging higher prices.

Mine Entra should thus seek to ensure best practices are shared and that experiences are shared with those that are still taking comfort by exporting jobs.
Soon after Mine Entra we have the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries who will be holding their annual congress in Mutare.

The choice of venue is a good one as it takes place in a city that has not only become one of Zimbabwe biggest entry points for smuggled textile products but also because this was one of our country’s industrial hub.

It is hoped this time the CZI congress will be careful to heed the call by its president, Mr Charles Msipa who last year noted that as manufacturers were complaining of textile imports, the organisation had become an unwitting accomplice by importing all fabrics used at its congress.

Charity does begin at home. We hope to see that CZI has gone out of its way by using Zimbabwean products and services.
More importantly though CZI must use the occasion to advise other sectoral compatriots such as mining that they are some companies that are still in operation and can match products from any part of the world.

Buy Zimbabwe has noticed that it has become convenient for most buyers to cite lack of competitiveness among Zimbabwean producers as the primary reason why they do not buy locally.

If allowed to continue this stereotype will hurt industry in ways difficult to reverse.
CZI must also compile a data base of manufacturers in order to guide other sectors on where to look as they search for products and services.

The Buy Zimbabwe Awards of which CZI is on the nomination committee should also be used as means of articulating excellence within the manufacturing sector and a reference point to companies that are searching for the best that can be procured locally.

The Zimbabwean economy is still in trouble for sure and our imports that stand at $2,5 billion against exports of $990 million are still high but compared to last year when the figure was $400 million higher we are moving in the right direction.

There is also a slight improvement in liquidity though our FDI inflows depressed. We also see an increased acceptance of the need to Buy Zimbabwe.
We must embrace all these movements and seek to accelerate the momentum.

In no time we will be out of the woods.

Buy Zimbabwe has never been sweeter, lets all take up the challenge.

Till we meet again, God Bless, [email protected], Cell 00263773751878