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Kudzai Chikiwa, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT institutions should be innovative and come up with income- generating projects that supplement their budgetary allocations to reduce the burden on taxpayers, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Richard Moyo has said.

Speaking during the commissioning of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Aquaculture fish cages at Bubi-Lupane dam yesterday, Cde Moyo said Government institutions should not entirely depend on Treasury for all their needs.

The ZPCS started a fish breeding project with 10 000 red bream fish which will be harvested in six months.
Prison officers will guard the dam against poaching.

Cde Moyo said in view of prevailing economic challenges, institutions must embark on projects that generate foreign currency and cut on costs incurred by the Government.

He noted that the vision of making Zimbabwe an upper middle-income economy by 2030 is on track and is not solely a Government responsibility but a “tangible vision that calls on every responsible citizen to bring ideas and join hands in transforming the economy.”

“Projects provide a great potential for income generation which is critical for making up for the Treasury gap. Creativity and innovation should be preached day in day out. Projects do not only productively contribute towards your self-sustenance but also contribute towards every province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” Cde Moyo said.

The Minister said Government institutions should undertake sustainable projects taking advantage of factors of production that are at their disposal which include labour, land and entrepreneurship.

Cde Moyo hailed the ZPCS for taking a lead in setting the pace of self-sustenance and complementing Government efforts in providing for the needs of incarcerated persons.

He said the fishing industry is one of the areas which Government is supporting through the Command Fisheries initiative. “This fish project marks yet another great achievement in the history of Matabeleland North Province as it continues in its quest for self-sustenance,” Cde Moyo said.

“Given the new dispensation in which the Second Republic is ready for devolution of power from the national level down to the provinces, it is therefore incumbent upon you as ZPCS Matabeleland Province to be seen doing much in not only productively contributing towards your self-sustenance but also contributing towards Matabeleland North Province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)”.

Cde Moyo noted that the project would help the ZPCS carry out its constitutional mandates that include feeding and rehabilitating inmates for their successful reintegrating among other tasks.

He urged other provinces to identify feasible projects within their jurisdiction that could be undertaken for the benefit of both inmates and officers.

ZPCS Commissioner-General Major-General Paradzai Zimondi (Retired) said the project would reduce fiscal pressures on Government.

He said ZPCS also commissioned a Kapenta fishing project in Binga and there is also a partnership with one of the largest brick moulding companies in Bulawayo, MacDonald Bricks, where inmates are involved in brick moulding which benefits them in monetary terms. — @tamary98