Zimpapers Logo

Minister Mike Bimha

Business Reporter
INDUSTRY, Commerce and Enterprise Development Minister, Dr Mike Bimha, will this week lead a delegation of business leaders from Zimbabwe to Hong Kong for the First Belt and Road Agrifood and Trade Summit (ATS) taking place from 27 to 29 June.

Zimbabwe through Consul General of Consulate General of Zimbabwe in Hong Kong SAR/ Macao SAR PRC Alfred Mutiwazuka, has been invited as VIP guest to the First Belt and Road Agrifood and Trade Summit and to the opening ceremony of the First Belt and Road International Food Expo (BRIFE) to be held at the Asia World Expo in Hong Kong.

Running under the theme “Steering World Food Industries to New Opportunities” BRIFE 2018 is the first overseas business to business and Government to business food expo under the theme of Belt and Road initiative.

The First Belt and Road Agrifood and Trade Summit (ATS) will be a high-level event focusing on opportunities and challenges facing the agriculture and food industry under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Dr Bimha is among the only six ministers to speak on the opportunities and challenges to the National Agriculture and Food Industry under the Belt and Road Initiative. The Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) is part of the delegation because of its critical role in provision of opportunities and facilitation of linkages for agricultural development. ZAS head sales and marketing, Ms Cynthia Tapera, said her organisation would participate with focus to discussing and exchanging views regarding the demand in investment and development in agriculture and food industry. The platform is set to provide participants with an opportunity to co-operate and collaborate as businesses.

“We are excited to be part of the business delegation that is accompanying our Minister of Industry. We have seen it necessary to support Gvernment and what makes this occasion even more gratifying is the realisation that we, as private sector, are key partners in national development. By working with Government, particularly under the new dispensation which has prioritised economics as an anchor for a more developed Zimbabwe, we unlock incomes for everyone,” she said.

“This summit is relevant and timely as the globalisation process continues speeding up, it brings a great impact and challenges to the agriculture and food industries. The agriculture and food industries are important to the global production industry, therefore the Summit will create a new platform of global economic development.”

Ms Tapera is also the chairperson for the Visit Zimbabwe Committee under the Nation Branding initiative. Zimbabwe under the new administration is repositioning itself for international appeal through a National Branding exercise coordinated by the Department of Public Affairs and Knowledge management in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC). The re-branding project is all inclusive and has mobilised multiple stakeholders into identifying elements that would make Zimbabwe be the ultimate choice for investors, trade partners and tourists from the Global arena.

“The summit is thus a perfect platform to update the world on the nation branding work in progress. Private and public sectors are actively competing (positively) on who should have the most input and impact in reposition Zimbabwe for better fortunes,” said Ms Tapera.