‘Ease of doing business key to Byo firms’ revival’
THE Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs, Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo, says the revival of city’s industries is hinged on the ongoing ease of doing business which is expected to attract more investors.
Addressing journalists in her office at the Mhlahlandlela Government Complex last Thursday, Minister Moyo said Bulawayo was ripe for investment as evidenced by an increase in inquiries from prospective partners.
Minister Moyo, who led a delegation of city business executives to Malaysia two weeks ago, said the doing business reform process should be expedited to facilitate quick industry benefit.
She called for the removal of inherent bottlenecks such as bureaucracy and delays, which repel investors.
Minister Moyo said the participation of the Bulawayo City Council in the investment trip, in particular, was crucial given the council’s role in investment.
“Them being there was an advantage and a blessing because they grasped a lot of things that they didn’t know.
“They saw their weaknesses. Some of the things include delays in processing some of the things by their offices. So we believe where ever they are they are busy with those changes. They should ensure that there is an easy way of doing business,” said Minister Moyo.
The Malaysian trip is said to have attracted a lot of investor interest with more exchange visits expected in the coming months.
Minister Moyo said Government and local authorities should open one stop shop offices where an investor can process his or her papers without any hassles.
“There must be an open office that allows people to come in and walk out having been assisted. The cases of investors being tossed around from one office to the other should end.
“We need this investment and we need seriousness and co-operation,” said Minister Moyo.
She said although Malaysians were keen on investing in the city, their biggest concern was what they will benefit in the process.
“I’m definitely sure that the office of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other ministries that are involved in the crafting of necessary incentives are doing that so that we can also be attractive as a special economic zone,” the Minister said.
She said unity would be key in the revival of Bulawayo industries. Some of the investment areas being targeted by council include tourism, construction and infrastructural development. -@ nqotshili
YES, you read that right. We have to start somewhere. Here we are and we have a generation of students and pupils who are more tech savvy than their teachers. If we are serious about using ICT to open doors of new opportunities, then we must implement this. If you have a child attending a school with no computer facilities then you are preparing your child for failure. ICT levels the playing field. Your background, economic or social, does not matter much when it comes to the vast opportunities that ICT technologies bring to your child.
We live in a world where devices are connected and access of information is at your finger tips. Once upon a time one had to go to the library and peruse through a heap of books to search for particular information. I am sure some remember the Encyclopedia Britannica. For those who do not know what it is I can sum it up as a book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject and typically arranged alphabetically. One had to peruse through pages on different topics and headlines and squeeze the information that you wanted. The book edition was effective during its time and it served its purpose. A digital version is now available online just download it. Enter Google you search anything that you can think of. And how does this relate to making ICT training for teachers compulsory? Read on.
Here is our challenge. Most teachers are computer illiterate. This is not out of their own making. This is an inherited problem over the years. Different authorities have come and gone with different and often ineffective and useless ICT methods for education. When the teacher cannot use a computer what do you expect of the average student? Lack of ICT skills on part of teachers has worked against the efforts that are being made to bridge the digital divide. The teacher is uniquely positioned in the classroom at a school at a certain location with a certain enrolment. Year-in-year out students come and go. Imagine a teacher at my former school Sobukhazi High School who has been there for 10 years? With a class averaging 40 pupils and teaching five classes. 10 years by five classes with 40 pupils each is the estimate number of pupils that pass through this particular teacher. Great opportunity or is it?
Lack of computers and internet are no longer a good excuse especially in urban environments. With such high penetration of broadband technologies like optic fibre, ADSL and 3G where is the challenge? The problem starts at the top. Right down to the provincial educational and district education office the ICT paralysis is visible. The ministry has no clear plan on how to equip teachers with the so much needed ICT skills that should be