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Pamela Shumba,Senior Reporter 

A CHINESE State Advisory Council delegation visited Bulawayo yesterday and was apprised of the vast investment opportunities in the city, covering a range of economic sectors including infrastructure development and manufacturing.

Also known as the Development Research Centre (DRC) of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, the delegation is in the country to support the Government with research and economic development strategy, as relations between the two countries advance to higher levels.  The DRC is a think tank in the Republic of China, responsible for research for State council on big projects and policy proposals to the Government of China.

The five-day visit is a follow up to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries when the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube, visited China from June 24 to 28, 2019.

On Thursday, DRC vice president Mr Long Guoqiang and his team paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa Office, where they deliberated on a wide range of economic and development issues.

The Bulawayo visit, led by Mr Ma Jiantang, was the last port of call for the delegation, which met the Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs, Judith Ncube, Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Raj Modi, Bulawayo City Council and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) officials. 

In an interview after the meeting, Deputy Minister Modi said they deliberated extensively on the opportunities and challenges in Bulawayo.

“For Bulawayo province we’re looking at the mining industry, cattle ranching, and leather industries among others, where the Chinese can assist us through investments. We discussed extensively on the opportunities and the challenges we’re facing as a city.

“The delegation will go back to China and inform their Government and investors before they finalise which areas they want to invest in. We’re hopeful that soon we’ll be having investors reviving our economy and creating employment in the city,” said Deputy Minister Modi.

Bulawayo City Council Economic Development Officer, Mr Kholisani Moyo, said the city had developed a prospectus, showing all the projects that it is marketing to different investors.

“Bulawayo used to be the industrial hub of the country, with different sectors driving the economy of Bulawayo. We had mining, rubber processing, engineering, manufacturing, beef production, leather, agro processing and a bit of tourism,” said Mr Moyo.

He said the city council was also working on a Government programme on Special Economic Zones (SEZs). 

“On the SEZs programme we have two models. The first one is sector specific, where we’re saying all industries involved in different sectors of the economy will benefit from the incentives that Government will offer if they are declared under SEZs.

“The second model is area specific, where an area called Umvumila was declared as an SEZ area. It’s an area covering 188 hectares. We want to develop an industrial park. On that area we’ll have businesses like abattoirs, car assembly plants, leather processing among others,” Mr Moyo said.

Under the tourism sector, he said, the city had identified historic sites that it is trying to build to market tourism within the city.

Prof Ncube last week said the DRC mission to Zimbabwe was taking place at a time when the country was in the middle of implementing key reforms necessary to achieve economic growth and development.

He said the Government was grateful for the support it has continued to receive from China.

This is the first time the DRC has been given permission to assist a country outside its economic jurisdiction.

The delegation is conducting research and field studies on areas which include infrastructure development and financing strategy, macro-economic stabilisation and enhancement of business environment as well as industrial structure transformation policy, through value addition and beneficiation of natural resources.

It has met with officials in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, line ministries and institutions responsible for economic research and analysis.

Last year Huajian Group of Companies from China signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Zimbabwe to cooperate in the development of SEZs.

Huajian Group of Companies made plans to construct a multi-million dollar industrial park in Bulawayo, a project which will employ more than 10 000 people directly while another 10 000 will benefit indirectly downstream.

A high-powered delegation from the company met senior officials from the Bulawayo City Council during an exploratory meeting.—@pamelashumba1