Harare, (New Ziana) – Nearly 800 businesses in six provinces in the country were formally registered during a recent reserved sector blitz, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mangaliso Ndhlovu has said.
Reserved sectors in Zimbabwe include transport (passenger buses, taxis, and car hire services), retailing, wholesaling, hair salons, advertising agencies, estate agencies, grain milling, bakeries, tobacco grading and packaging and artisanal mining.
Briefing the media after Cabinet’s Tuesday meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Jenfan Muswere said Ndhlovu had in his 100-day cycle priority projects report told Cabinet that 779 businesses in six provinces of Zimbabwe were registered during the exercise.
Muswere said his Industry and Commerce counterpart had also told Cabinet
that underway is an intensified Consumer Protection programme including product inspections, measuring instruments checks, and consumer education awareness campaign inspections in the country’s 10 provinces.
During the blitz, authorities destroyed about four tonnes of confiscated goods in addition to unearthing shocking malpractices that included fake products, mislabelled and smuggled goods being sold to unsuspecting consumers.
The Industry and Commerce Ministry has also drilled three boreholes in Mutare, Gweru and Masvingo as part of Trade Measures infrastructure capacitation in addition to equipping and commissioning of mobile van laboratories.
“In the “moving the economy up of the value chain” pillar of the National Development Strategy 1, Muswere said Ndhovu highlighted the installation of a Beer Pet Project worth US$1.7 million underway at Ingwebu Breweries in Bulawayo Metropolitan province, installation of an advanced tissue converting and printing plant to the tune of US$ 2,5 million by Supreme Brands and establishment of the ZITF 2025 business connections strategic partnership with private sector business member organisations.
The Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera also briefed Cabinet on the digital economy pillar and indicated that 10 000 citizens are in the process of being equipped with digital skills throughout the country, with 5 000 already trained.
Resourcing of the remaining 21 rural district councils across all provinces, with distribution of ICT gadgets has been completed, establishment of 10 ICT laboratories in all provinces is underway with the inclusion of Starlink gadgets and that of a Post Office kiosk at Tsanzaguru, Makoni district in Manicaland province.
Muswere said the installation of a Digital Postal System in Harare is in progress with the Zimpost mobile application development completed while the deployment of 62 broadband network base stations in all provinces is underway with 31 base stations already completed as is the deployment of e-learning platforms to 20 schools.
“Establishment of a Technology Park in Harare is on course, construction of the fibre distribution hub under the fibre to the home project in Belvedere, Harare is on course, implementation of the long-term evolution project is on course, implementation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Kazungula Fibre Backbone Project is completed,” he said.
“Development of the Government Procurement Framework is on course and the Application Connection of health facilities in Gokwe North on the Telemedicine system reported some progress.”
Under the Food Security pillar of the National Development Strategy 1, Muswere said the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka indicated that the development of the 50-hectares Gororo Irrigation Scheme in Chivi is 90 percent complete, while that of the 37ha Wanezi Irrigation Scheme in Insiza district is 80 percent complete and a 1 percent increase was recorded in the planting of 1 822 904ha of maize against a target 1.8 million hectares during the 2024/2025 summer season.
He said 717 481 hectares was planted under traditional grains, representing a 99.7 percent achievement of the targeted 720 000 hectares, while 29 million litres of milk had been produced as at day 50, against a target of 28 million litres.
Other milestones in the agriculture sector include the production of 22 500 metric tonnes of beef as at day 50 against a target of 22 500 metric tonnes, 2 820 metric tonnes of goat meat against a target of 2 500 and distribution of 108 700 chicks at day 50 against a target of 150 000 chicks under the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme.
New Ziana
