Moves to enhance Zim's industry

Moves to enhance Zim's industry
Published: 26 July 2017
INDUSTRY and Commerce Minister, Dr Mike Bimha, has appointed the inaugural National Competitiveness Commission board, which is expected to come up with strategies to improve local industry competiveness.

The board will be chaired by industrialist and former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president, Mr Kumbirai Katsande. Other members are Tracy Mutaviri, Demetry Psillos, Dr Gibson Chigumira, Ellen Ruparanganda, Elizabeth Nyagura, Charles Mujajati, Maureen Chitewe, Devine Ndlukula and Charles Msipa.

The NCC board appointment comes after passage of the NCC Bill by Parliament in May this year and eventual assertion into law on June 23, 2017.

Dr Bimha mandated the board to develop periodic competitiveness frameworks and strategies as well as come up with suggestions that enhance the operating environment and ensure Zimbabwean products are competitive on both the domestic and export market.

"It has been a long road and this landmark development will now enable the NCC to start working seriously on improving the business environment through the development, co-ordination and implementation of key policy improvements

"The guiding objective of the NCC is to enhance Zimbabwe's competitiveness by proposing policy recommendations that will create an economy, which will attract both domestic and foreign investment.

"The inauguration of this board marks a turning point in our quest to accelerate our country's economic competitiveness and transformation," said Dr Bimha.

The board is also responsible for identifying sectors of the Zimbabwean economy that have potential for global competitiveness while paying due attention to issues of structure and size of industries.

Among the complex challenges that have been affecting local industry include the influx of imported products onto the market, which has been cited as one of the reasons companies were closing or scaling down operations.

Prior to the introduction of the Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016, which removed certain products from the open general import license, imported products especially groceries and clothing items flooded the local market at cheaper prices, reducing the competitiveness of local products.

This prompted Government to move in to protect local industry through the re-branding of the Price and Incomes Commission to National Competitiveness Commission among other strategies.

The NCC is also expected to address the identified cost drivers in the economy among them, utilities supply, taxation, transport logistics and information technology.

Dr Bimha said Government would remain committed to improving the business environment and that the board came at a time when authorities were ceased with implementing Ease of Doing Business reforms.

- BH24
Tags: Industry,

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