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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has implored local companies to continue supplying it despite the prevailing harsh economic climate in the country.

Officially opening a one-day ZNA southern region suppliers’ seminar in Bulawayo yesterday, the chief of staff (quartermaster), Major-General Sibusiso Moyo acknowledged that the ZNA owed local suppliers “substantial” sums of money but could not be drawn into revealing figures.

“Of late, the ZNA has been facing serious challenges in settling its dues to our esteemed suppliers of goods and services. At the moment, all our financial requirements are heavily dependent on what we get from Treasury in the form of weekly target allocations,” Maj-Gen Moyo said.

“It’s not our intention and will never be our intention to make you bankrupt. If anything our focus should be on empowering local suppliers in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-economic Transformation. We call upon our suppliers to remain resolute in their support for us.”

He said given the weekly allocations the ZNA was receiving from Treasury, it was impossible to fund current requirements while settling accumulated debts to suppliers.

Maj-Gen Moyo said at present the ZNA was paying suppliers through the availed weekly allocations from Treasury and also through the set-off arrangements with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.

He said the present trend was such that the allocations were generally insignificant to meet the essential requirements that enable the army to meet its constitutional obligation.

“The ZNA acknowledges that it owes you substantial sums of money and of course this situation has a negative impact on your business operations as it strains your liquidity position but this is only a temporary setback that’s certainly set to be history in the near future,” said Maj-Gen Moyo.

He said the ZNA was now in the process of adopting a self reliance concept that would enable the organisation to survive with minimal support from the fiscus.

To achieve this objective, he said, the ZNA was calling on willing partners to join it in strategic partnerships that would see the army generating the required capacity of self sustenance.

“Once we achieve the self sustenance goal then we’ll be able to finance all our requirements with minimal support from the already strained Treasury allocations. Our focus will be on the following: designing and reviewing strategic short to medium term plans for self sustenance and identifying potential areas for capacity building in order to meet our objectives,” Maj Gen Moyo said.

It emerged during the seminar that some of the ZNA suppliers were yet to receive payments for goods delivered in 2011.

“We supplied the army in 2011 and we’re yet to receive payment for the goods and we want that scenario addressed,” said one of the suppliers.

Maj-Gen Moyo said they were in process of engaging the government to take over the debt through their line ministry.

“Should this endeavour become successful then our ability to finance current requirements is certainly set to improve. The ZNA is certainly one organisation that will not go under liquidation and as such be rest assured that all your accumulated dues will be paid in due course,” he said.

Representatives of businesses from the Midlands, Masvingo and Matabeleland regions and army personnel and officers attended the seminar, which ran under the theme, “Thinking outside the box in doing business with the Zimbabwe National Army in the Current Economic Environment”.