Maravi

(HERALD) ‘Let’s boost productivity’

‘Let’s boost productivity’
Chinhoyi Bureau

PRESIDENT Mugabe has called for increased capacity utilisation in key pillars of the productive sector to ensure economic stability. The thrust, which is in line with the National Economic Development Priority Programme, requires that all potential in productive sectors such as tourism, agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, among others, is harnessed and fully utilised.

The President was speaking in Chinhoyi yesterday at the official opening of the Chinhoyi University of Technology Hotel School, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, and capping of 260 graduates in agricultural engineering, post-harvest technology and international marketing. The hotel school will also be run as a commercial venture.

"It goes without saying that the main thrust of our current national economic development programme is to stabilise the macro-economic environment. As we work towards this objective, we should see increased capacity utilisation in the productive sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, mining, construction, tourism, transport and communications," he said.

Such an approach invariably needs to be complemented by highly skilled human capital for research and implementation of programmes.

Tourism and hospitality — as one of the major drivers of economic growth and foreign currency earners — should be supported through the development and training of highly qualified manpower.

President Mugabe commended the university and the ministries of Higher and Tertiary Education and Environment and Tourism for setting up the School of Hospitality and Tourism as an important milestone in the training of students – both locals and those from the region.

"The opening of the School of Hospitality and Tourism at the Chinhoyi University of Technology is a milestone for the institution and for the entire nation as it seeks to produce dynamic, innovative and entrepreneurial graduates richly endowed with practical skills for the development of our country," he said.

It comes at a time when Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, is working to reposition the tourism sector.

Harmonised and co-ordinated human resource training and development, the President said, was in line with the position taken by Sadc member states, which seeks to ensure that tourism training institutions in the region are complementary.

President Mugabe said Zimbabwe would reserve places for students from the Sadc region.

"In this spirit, and as part of the spirit of regional economic integration, Zimbabwe would be happy to reserve a quota of the places available for students from other Sadc countries."

Cde Mugabe said the region was aware of the global significance of tourism as the world’s fastest growing industry and called for clearly defined policies and strategies for its development and promotion.

Of concern, however, were the meagre receipts from tourism in the developing world and Zimbabwe in particular, which he attributed to the underdeveloped state of tourist attractions.

"Our concern and, indeed, that of our region is that the rich tourism potential which offers an array of features and a number of sites containing natural wonders of the world remains largely underdeveloped and, therefore, does not contribute to the economic well-being of our people and those of other regions," said Cde Mugabe.

He said developing nations were being "short-changed" by tour operators who organised packages that see some host countries getting very little from spendthrift tourists as they only pay for food and go to the next country.

Zimbabwe must seek to understand cultures and languages of friendly nations in line with the Look East Policy in view of the illegal Western sanctions, Cde Mugabe said.

This would enhance the country’s chances of penetrating the "globalised and diversified" arena of hospitality and tourism.

Cde Mugabe commended the university’s thrust to develop and specialise in tourism and hospitality, irrigation engineering, fuels and energy as directly responding to the current economic challenges.

A mechanism for quality control should be put in place at every level as tourism was by nature an international industry and called for the re-aligning of programmes with regional and international trends if Zimbabwe was to benefit from the 2010 World Cup soccer finals in South Africa.

Before capping the graduates, President Mugabe installed Professor David Jambwa Simbi as the substantive Vice-Chancellor for

Prof Simbi had been acting since last year and replaces Charles Nherera, who was jailed for corruption.

In his acceptance speech, Prof Simbi said he would do his utmost to steer the university to its potential and realise its objective of being the regional centre of excellence in technological innovation and development.

A qualified engineer with a bias in metallurgy, Prof Simbi was born in Nyazura in 1952.

He said realisation of the university’s objectives and goals would be guided by the recently launched 10-year strategic plan.

CUT, like other universities, faced the challenge of retaining qualified staff, most of whom are leaving in droves in search of greener pastures.

"For Chinhoyi University of Technology, it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide for continuity as well as allow for the development and establishment of institutional memory, further compromising research output and quality of community service," he said.

The university was doing all it could under the circumstances to offer incentives that could invariably lead to retention of staff by addressing accommodation concerns through negotiations for a build-operate-transfer arrangement with private companies while council has provided land for that purpose.

CUT had partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and information technology multinational company Hewlett Packard to develop a national programme to reverse brain drain, an extension of the International Home-link Desk project funded by the International Organisation on Migration.

Local financial institution ZB Bank supported the setting-up of the hotel school and donated $1 billion.

Labels: HUMAN RESOURCES, MUGABE, NEDPP, THE HERALD

posted by MrK @ 8:29 AM