Vienna ( New Ziana) – Government intends to craft a Green Industry Strategy as part of broad measures to foster rapid industrialisation through investments in environmentally friendly industries, a Cabinet Minister has said.
This was said by Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza at a UNIDO conference dubbed accelerating climate impact for Member States through Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development being held in Vienna, Austria.
She said Zimbabwe had made fundamental institutional reforms, including setting up the Zimbabwe Investment Development Authority, to facilitate Foreign Direct Investment.
This, she said, would help local industry to re-tool, thereby ensuring that the country does not lag behind in embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“In addition, Zimbabwe intends to come up with a Green Industry Strategy in the next technical support from UNIDO, which aims to encourage the investment community to adapt to production methods that reduce carbon emissions,” she said.
“Investors have an option to set themselves up in Special Economic Zones, wherein they enjoy a special incentive package aimed at reducing their initial cost outlays.
“Furthermore, government provides for more facilitation under the auspices of Statutory Instrument 6 of 2016, wherein investors benefit from the deferment on the collection of value added tax and customs duty on the importation of capital goods through an application process.”
She added: “All this is testament to our commitment to upgrade and modernize our industrial processes in order to meet our climate and environment obligations.”
But, Nzenza said Zimbabwe, like other least developed countries which have borne the heaviest burden of climate change, needed funding to fully adapt.
“Whilst we need capacity building support there are certainly lessons to be learnt from how Zimbabwe’s Industry is handling sustainable operations. We have seen our local industries setting up alternative energy sources and investing in solar farms for heavy duty manufacturing and feeding this back to the grid,” she said.
“We are collectively working, between government and the private sector, towards identifying and preparing bankable projects to secure financial resources for climate change adaptation and mitigation needs and national capacities to monitor progress that we are making on climate action.”
Nzenza pledged Zimbabwe’s commitment to the ongoing fight against the negative impacts of Climate Change.
New Ziana