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Plumtree Correspondent
THIS year’s Plumtree Business Expo has been cancelled as farmers have run out of agricultural produce to exhibit, officials have said.
The expo is a yearly event held every August with the aim of creating and strengthening business linkages for local businesses.Chairperson of Plumtree Chamber of SMEs Mr Denny Nyathi said the expo would be replaced with a business forum which will be held on 11 October.

“We will not be holding a business expo this year as is the norm. The expo normally takes place in August but because of national events we had to put it on hold.

“By now farmers have run out of agricultural produce which makes it impossible for the expo to go ahead, instead we will be holding a business forum next month,” he said.

Mr Nyathi said the business forum would see the business community converge with technocrats for advice and consultation purposes.
“We will be having business technocrats coming to impart business ideas and guidance to our business community. This will help establish solid and fruitful business linkages.

“The business forum will also help create linkages between local companies operating at corporate level, medium scale and those operating on small scale. With this we hope to record growth of our town’s business community,” said Mr Nyathi.

He said the business forum would also incorporate government leadership in order to ensure that business strategies remained in line with government policies and statutes.

Mr Nyathi said the business forum would also assist business individuals in accessing business tenders.
“We hope to record a complete turnaround after the business forum. Our members are not accessing any tenders as they are not known to the business community on a larger scale. We hope they will be empowered on how to establish linkages with bigger companies.

“Once our members are well established they can generate income that would help them construct their own infrastructure which has remained a huge challenge for most members,” he said.

Mr Nyathi said a number of business associations were still reluctant to register under the chamber.
“At the moment we have eight members within the chamber from Bulilima and Mangwe. The response is generally disappointing as there are a number of associations which are still unregistered with the chamber.

“This greatly affects growth within the business community as full potential can be realised once businesses are properly organised,” he said.

He said the business forum would be held under the theme “Unity for Economic Development”.