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(HERALD) ZITF shames Zim’s critics, say ministers

ZITF shames Zim’s critics, say ministers
Bulawayo Bureau

FOREIGN exhibitors at this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair say they have identified business opportunities that can be exploited in the country despite the obtaining economic problems. In the run-up to the annual trade showcase which began here on Tuesday, speculation was rife in anti-Zimbabwe circles that the event would be cancelled because of the "crisis" that they alleged had engulfed Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the March 29 harmonised elections.

The detractors said the "delay" in the announcement of results of the presidential election would scuttle efforts to attract both local and foreign exhibitors, forcing the Government and ZITF to cancel the premier international trade event.

However, organisers went ahead with the fair with 565 exhibitors — 544 of them local and 21 foreign — taking part in this year’s event.

Hordes of foreign buyers and travel agents have also descended on the ZITF grounds for a specialised exhibition, A’Sambeni Africa Tour and Travel, which has become the second most important tourism exhibition in Zimbabwe after Travel Expo.

In separate interviews at the trade fair, the Minister of Industry and International Trade, Cde Obert Mpofu, and the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, said the turnout by foreign exhibitors had rendered futile, the diplomatic offensive launched against Zimbabwe by Britain and its Anglo-Saxon allies.

"The fears that the trade fair would not be held were coming from our detractors, the prophets of doom. We have seen foreign and local exhibitors coming out to exhibit at the fair and this is a slap in the face of those detractors," Cde Mpofu said on Tuesday after touring stands at ZITF.

Cde Nyoni made similar remarks yesterday.

"I know that our enemies were saying we would postpone the fair. What they did not realise is that as Government, we are keen to promote business because it has a direct link with the livelihood of the people.

"Why then would we postpone such a thing? It is just that some people want to politicise virtually everything," she said.

"We have both foreign and local companies at the ZITF out to do business and that’s as it should be."

Foreign exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the event and the business contacts and deals that they were forging.

In an interview on Tuesday, the first secretary for economic affairs at the Zambian Embassy in Zimbabwe, Ms Dyriss Kabwita, said eight companies from her country were displaying their products at the embassy’s stand.

"People have expressed interest in buying sugar, cooking oil and medicines, which apparently are in short supply here," she said.

Ms Kabwita said despite economic challenges that Zimbabwe was facing, some Zambian companies continued to invest and do business in the country.

"We are not just looking at the present but also focusing on the future. There might be difficulties now, but we know that this is not a permanent situation. The economic situation will improve," she said.

"Zambia and Zimbabwe continue to have trade relations. The cross-border trade activities have increased a lot."

A representative of the Indonesian Embassy at the country’s stand said there was need for more aggressive marketing of ZITF to attract even more companies from Asia.

Following the fallout with Britain, the United States and other Western powers over Zimbabwe’s land reform programme, Government launched the "Look East Policy" to encourage more investment deals and trade relations with Asian countries.

Representatives of Botswana and Malawi embassies have also hailed the way the exhibition has been organised and expressed hope that companies from their countries would be able to clinch business deals at the fair.

Labels: TRADE FAIRS, ZIMBABWE, ZITF

posted by MrK @ 2:52 PM