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Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
THE Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo is set to embark on an assessment of industries in the city to gather statistics on job losses and map the way forward to address the situation.

Minister Moyo yesterday said the five-day assessment would start on Monday in a development that would see the creation of a database that would enable them to co-ordinate with other government departments in finding solutions for the province’s ailing industries as well as reduce the effects of job cuts.

“It’s part of our duty to know the problems affecting the province. We need to do a general overview of the situation so that we can address the issue as a province,” said Minister Moyo.

She said national statistics on job losses were known but the province needed to have its own database to help identify the most affected areas.

Minister Moyo said the information they would gather would be used to identify industries that would be prioritised for re-capitalisation under the government’s Special Economic Zones scheme.

“We will consider the cases for the implementation of SEZs. We need to understand the problems affecting our industries. We know that business is very slow so we need an overview on companies,” she said.

The Minister’s personal assistant Fikile Marovatsanga said the tour would see Minister Moyo engaging captains of industry.

“There are some well performing industries in the city even under these harsh economic times. These industries and companies will be engaged so that they share the recipes that make them tick,” she said.

According to trade unionists, more than 20,000 people lost their jobs following the July 17 Supreme Court ruling that companies took advantage of to fire workers on three months’ notice.

The sacking of employees led the government to swiftly amend the Labour Act to provide relief to workers.

President Robert Mugabe signed the Bill into law last week.