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Marytise Vambayi Herald Reporter

The Buy Zimbabwe Week Promotion, a campaign to raise market awareness and preference for local goods, increase competitiveness and sales volumes of Zimbabwean products and services and stimulate economic growth begins next week.

Chairperson of Buy Zimbabwe Mr Munyaradzi Hwengwere said the campaign will run next week from Monday to Friday, with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga officiating at the opening and Ministers of Industry and Commerce Dr Sekai Nzenza and of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Masuka present.

“It is basically a programme of amplification for the need to buy locally and the need to prefer locally produced quality goods and services,’’ he said.

“During the week, there will be roadshows and engagements with the private sector that looks at how more public sector buying can be directed to producers of Zimbabwean made goods and services.

“The Buy Zimbabwe has made progress from 2011 where Zimbabwean content was less than 30 percent and now it is over 50 percent with shelves dominated by local products.”

Mr Hwengwere said the official retail partners for the Buy Zimbabwe Week Promotion are OK, Gain, TM Pick n Pay, Mahomed Mussa and others, stressing the selling of local content goods.

The Buy Zimbabwe week will precede the buy local summit and the first Made in Zimbabwe Expo to be held concurrently at the Rainbow Towers and Conference Centre on December 8.

“The buy local summit will see producers, retailers, wholesalers, young innovators and policy makers, among others, gathering together to discuss ways of ramping up local production,’’ said Mr Hwengwere.