Zimpapers Logo

Herald Reporters

India has donated US$5 million machinery to Zimbabwe for incubation projects in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector.

The machinery was handed over to Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni by Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Rungsung Masakui at the Harare Institute of Technology yesterday.

Speaking at the handover of the equipment, Minister Nyoni said the project will benefit over 3 000 SMEs annually.

She said the equipment will upgrade 16 technology and common facility centres nationwide.

“This expansion project will have immense benefits to the country which include improved quality of products on average the centre will benefit over 3 000 SMEs annually who will be able to hire state-of-the-art machinery at the various centres located around the country to manufacture their own products.

“This is most humbling considering that the equipment we are receiving today is coming to upgrade part of the 16 Technology and Common Facility Centres which were established through a Grant of US$5 million which was extended to support the development of the SME sector in Zimbabwe in 2006,” she said.

Minister Nyoni said the machinery project will allow the country to manufacture molds, machine parts, tools and components some of which are currently being imported.

“The new project will see the Technology Centres being upgraded with new equipment in the fields of Tool and Die Making, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Plastic products manufacturing, as well as carpentry and metal fabrication.

Speaking at the same event, Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Rungsung Masakui said Zimbabwe is one of India’s closest friends in Africa and has been included in the Indian priority countries to implement this    project.