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Walter Nyamukondiwa Mash West Bureau
All is set for the Mashonaland West Devolution Conference which is expected to set benchmarks and lay the foundation for a competitive provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP) tomorrow.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo is set to deliver the keynote address as Government operationalises the decentralisation of governance to provinces.

Government has started disbursing part of the $310 million earmarked for devolution and Mashonaland West like all the country’s other nine provinces is set to get $31 million.

In an interview yesterday, Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the Indaba brings together stakeholders in the key economic pillars of agriculture, mining, tourism and local authorities, among others.

“We have a bias towards the business cluster or enterprise,” she said. “The idea of the Indaba is to have entrepreneurs, big corporates, small to medium enterprise to come together and take the vision on where we want to take our provincial economy.

“This will also inform what we need to do as a province to get to that destination. The engine is already heated up and we have a number of people and organisations confirming their attendance.”

Minister Chikoka-Mliswa said there have been numerous enquiries from people interested in being part of the conference which is expected to be the game-changer in terms of growth and employment creation opportunities.

Speakers at the conference will be drawn from the Ministries of Finance and Economic Development, Industry and Commerce, Lands, Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

At least 250 delegates are expected at the conference which is expected to set the tone for development of the province.

Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said dialogue and convergence on the expected development path to be taken was key for the growth of the province.

“The Devolution Conference is aimed at getting everyone up to speed with the thinking of government while also getting input from all players on how best we can move the province forward,” she said. “It will provide a platform for dialogue, cooperation and the deepening of ties between captains of industry and the offices of Minister of State for Mashonaland West.

“This indaba is key as we set out to make our province the best in Zimbabwe in line with our 2019 Mashonaland West Provincial mantra: “If You Want The Best, Come To Mashonaland West”.

She said Mashonaland West can only grow into the best through collaborative efforts hence the need to re-group, network, and build lasting synergies which will be key to us attaining our devolution thrust.