Reform agenda targets ease of doing business

GOVERNMENT will forge ahead with its reform agenda aimed at tackling doing business bottlenecks so as to enhance domestic and foreign investment, Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Raj Modi has said.

Speaking during the mining industry suppliers’ forum organised by the Chamber of Mines in Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last week, he said the assessment processes will continue with the view of improving the investment climate across the sectors.

“Government will continuously assess the investment and business operating environment to identify inhibiting factors affecting the ease of doing business. Reforms have already been instituted under Government’s Rapid Results Approach (RRA) 100 Day Plans,” said Deputy Minister Modi.

The concept of 100-day or RRA is a structured set of results-focused, low risk, change-driving, team-based and problem-solving management tool for mobilising teams to achieve tangible results.

It is also expected that through the 100-day programmes, Government will pace up organisational learning from several small-scale, results-producing and momentum-building projects.

Deputy Minister Modi said like any other players, local suppliers in the mining industry have continued to face a host of challenges that include lack of affordable lines of credit for retooling and working capital purposes, and foreign currency shortage.

He said Government will continue to identify and mobilise affordable lines of credit.

Deputy Minister Modi noted that the de-industrialisation experienced in the economy over the years has resulted in most local suppliers of the mining industry failing to supply mining houses in time due to capacity constraints.

“In some instances, local suppliers lack capacity to meet the quality required by the mining sector resulting in mining houses preferring imports. In view of the above, it is imperative that Government, mining houses and suppliers of the mining industry work together to capacitate local suppliers through supplier development programmes especially under the Local Content Policy,” he said.

e Deputy Minister said the National Competitiveness Commission (NCC) will be capacitated adequately to carry out its mandate to identify and critically analyse cost drivers impacting negatively on the competitiveness of the productive sectors and make recommendations for policy interventions,.

The mining industry is one of Zimbabwe’s economic mainstays contributing nearly 60 percent of export earnings. — @okazunga