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GOVERNMENT is working on revamping the manufacturing of buses and trucks locally to save the much-needed foreign currency being spent on imports. Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said recently that localising motor vehicle production was her ministry’s top priority.

Minister Nzenza said continued importation of buses and other vehicles was not sustainable hence the push to revamp the motor industry. She said the thrust now is to support the companies to increase the manufacture of buses and delivery trucks to save the much- needed foreign currency.

Quest Motors Manufacturing company said a few years ago that a single order for vehicles from State-owned institutions would help revive more than 10 local companies.

The company said if Government ministries, State-owned enterprises and parastatals buy 80 percent of their vehicles from local car assemblers, the companies will be back in full production in a short period of time.

It said if high vehicle users such as the army, TelOne and Zesa make an order, it will fix half of the economy of Manicaland. The glass company would be in business, textiles, timber companies and the spring companies wouldn’t be struggling.

The company said the downstream effects of reviving the car assembling companies will be massive. Zimbabwe, by importing buses and cars is exporting its labour and resources to countries such as neighbouring South Africa. We want at this juncture to implore Minister Nzenza to push hard to ensure local car assemblers are assisted so that they are able to meet the demand for buses and other type of cars.

Zimbabwe, like South Africa, has all that is required to assemble cars and its time we take advantage of this capacity to build our economy and create jobs.

At one time individuals, companies and Government were importing the same vehicles which were being assembled locally and this is unacceptable.

There have been loud calls for consumption of local products and this is only possible when the manufacturers of the local products are able to meet demand.

Government can only put in place measures to discourage importation of vehicles if local car assemblers are able to meet demand.

We therefore, fully support Minister Nzenza’s initiative to assist build the capacity of local car assemblers first.

The Zimbabwean economy cannot be sustained by retailing imported goods hence Government as one of the high users of vehicles, must take the lead in buying its buses and other vehicles locally once the car assemblers start producing enough.