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Minister Mandiwanzira

Business Reporters

GOVERNMENT, through the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe should ensure that the $2 million being collected under the universal fund is channelled towards information communication infrastructure development.Although the $2 million may not be enough for the huge capital outlay associated with telecommunications, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said it will go a long way to cover some funding gap.

In light of this, Government through the ICT, Postal and Courier Services Ministry has engaged Chinese banks and private companies to solicit for financing and infrastructure.

“Potraz should invest in telecommunications using the universal fund which collects nearly $2 million dollars every month. But this is not enough to deploy infrastructure to all parts of the country that is why we are seeking resources which we guarantee repayment through the inflow funds,” said Minister Mandiwanzira.

He was addressing the media after meeting Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Huang Ping yesterday. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister Win Mlambo, acting permanent secretary Cosmas Chigwamba, Potraz chairman Ozias, and director-general Dr Gift Machengete.

As such, there has been significant cooperation between Zimbabwe and China in the communications sector with Chinese financial institutions as well as ICT infrastructure companies having been active in the Zimbabwean market working with Government owned telecommunications companies.

The Chinese banks and ICT companies are also working with private sector companies.

For instance, NetOne is working with Huawei, TelOne, Econet and Telecel are working with ZTE.

“I am aware that at a recent meeting held in Beijing recently a delegation from Zimbabwe which included the Minister of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Dr Obert Mpofu and officials from NetOne witnessed the signing of the Third Phase of the $485 million NetOne mobile broadband expansion project,” he said.

“We have two major projects that are being under taken with the support of Chinese banks. TelOne is implementing a $98 million dollar project and NetOne is just concluding the second phase of its mobile broadband project funded to the tune of $218 million by China Eximbank.”