Published: 20 October 2017

Government will work in collaboration with local and international partners with requisite expertise in the implementation of Special Economic Zones.

According to minutes of the meeting held between Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, Government is willing to engage experts with the right knowledge. Already there are some partners working with Government in the development and implementation of Special Economic Zones such as China Mechanical Engineering Company (CMEC) for the Victoria Falls SEZ.

"Government will work in collaboration with local and international partners who have experiences in the implementation of Special Economic Zones," reads part of the minutes. The Sunway City SEZ is expected to provide diversified land usage in the form of Industrial Park, High Tech Park, medical facilities among others as prioritised by Government. Bulawayo City SEZ will be anchored by railway, leather and livestock industries among others. Therefore, Government's strategy to designate Bulawayo as an SEZ will include among others the attraction of private sector investment to re-industrialise the city.

The Vic Falls SEZ will be anchored on development of tourism and hospitality industries and related facilities. On the Ease of Doing Business, the minutes noted that Small to Medium Enterprises (SME's) are becoming a significant source of fiscal income for Government and local authorities hence the need to introduce ease of doing reforms in that sector. The ease of doing business reforms commenced in September 2015 covering the generic indices of doing business.

"Empirical evidence suggest that the Zimbabwean economy is now preponderantly dominated by SME's. Undoubtedly, the ease of doing business reforms will also benefit the sector.

"This sector is significantly becoming a source of fiscal income for Government and Local Authorities," reads part of the minutes. The Ease of doing business reforms are part of the board measures being implemented by Government to attain the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation and the 10 Point Plan for economic growth targets. The minutes noted that this is critically important considering that Zim-Asset's cycle is coming to an end in 2018. The Ease of Doing reforms are being implemented underpinned by the Rapid Results Approach (RRA). It is internationally acclaimed methodology or best practice, which has been used for more than 40 years throughout the world to improve the delivery of quality services on a short to medium term basis.

"The rationale behind implementing the ease of doing business reforms is to facilitate the development of a thriving and robust private sector for high and inclusive growth as well as promoting sustainable development, by improving the business operating environment in order to attract foreign direct investment." In terms of milestones, five Bills have been enacted into law while in addition to the main acts, more than 22 Statutory Instruments from various Ministries and Departments and agencies are also being reviewed by Government to make them friendlier to investment by removing some of the inherent operational bottlenecks.
- zimpapers

You might also want to read this

• Zim to accelerate SEZs