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Prince Mukuna Herald Reporter
Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development Minister Minister Dr Mike Bimha has called on various stakeholders to contribute towards the crafting of a local content policy to promote use of local raw materials and consumption of locally produced products.

“The local content policy is part of Government’s broad industrialisation initiatives to enhance local value addition through utilisation of local resources and localisation of supply chains and linkages,” said Minister Bimha while addressing a policy validation workshop.

“Government has been promoting local production through the Import Management Programme (SI 122 of 2017), which has been running for a while. The management of imports requires that we adopt a parallel process of a local content programme.

“The local content programme will play a key role in stimulating the development of local industries, value chains and linkages; creation of employment and technology transfer.”

Minister Bimha said Government was implementing specific policy measures and strategies to facilitate industrial development and refocus the productive sectors of the economy in line with the new dispensation’s mantra that “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” and the vision to transform Zimbabwe into a middle-income economy by 2030.

The policy would be reinforced through buttressing existing gains, the miister told the workshop.
“Gains realised so far on the industrialisation front include retooling, where some companies have taken advantage of the policy space and upgraded their machinery and equipment as they position themselves to becoming competitive in both local and foreign markets,” he said.

“(Thanks to the) increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the country has witnessed a number of companies coming to set up factories in Zimbabwe.

“A number of companies recently commissioned new manufacturing plants and production lines for the production of cooking oil, snacks, beverages, clothing and leather products, to mention a few.”