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Enacy Mapakame
THE Government, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is creating a conducive environment that facilitates the competitiveness of local industries, production and boost earnings, a senior official has said.

Officiating at the Women’s Business Leadership Roundtable 2021, Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza, said this is being implemented through policy formulation and strategies that enhance industrial growth at a time the country is looking at achieving an upper middle income economy by 2030.

“My Ministry is mandated to facilitate and promote the development of sustainable, innovative, inclusive and globally competitive industrial and commercial enterprises for improved consumer welfare and economic growth.

“The Government is able to do so through formulating and implementing policies and strategies for industrial and commercial growth,’’ she said.

She cited the National Development Strategy (NDS1) and the Zimbabwe National Industrialisation Policy as some of the initiatives the Government is implementing to achieve inclusive economic growth.

Dr Nzenza, however, emphasised the need for inclusive growth, where women also take advantage of technological innovation to enhance their role towards economic development of the country, while their businesses also grow. Their participation in all the various sub sectors of the local industry could not be over-emphasised.

“We launched the Zimbabwe National Industrialisation Development Policy, which is premised upon the deliberate decision taken by the Government to open the country for business, modernise, industrialise and promote investment, with the ultimate goal of attaining broad-based economic empowerment, inclusive economic growth and employment creation.

“We have a highly diversified industrial sector consisting of 94 sub-sectors that include food, drink, and tobacco, clothing and textiles, wood and furniture; leather and footwear amongst many others and I am honoured to see women occupying spaces in those areas.

“It is my deepest desire that we find more women occupying these and more spaces in the industry. Women in business are urged to be innovative and make use of modern technologies to push forward industrialisation,” said Dr Nzenza.

The premier women’s leadership conference ran under the theme “Women Unlocking New Frontiers” and drew participants from diverse backgrounds discussing the challenges women entrepreneurs face as well as come up with practical solutions.

This came as it was noticed that most women led enterprises were unable to grow into big corporations despite the region boasting a high rate of women entrepreneurs.

As such, the conference drew high level speakers to stimulate and inspire growth of vibrant women executives as well as entrepreneurs. Among the topical issues discussed include insights on venture capital raising, leveraging on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) making money through investing on the stock exchange and other pertinent issues in the entrepreneurial world.