Urban Infrastructure Investment forum set for ZITF

04 Mar, 2018 - 00:03 0 Views
Urban Infrastructure Investment forum set for ZITF Mr Michael Ndinisa

The Sunday News

Mr Michael Ndinisa

Mr Michael Ndinisa

Vusumuzi Dube, Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe International Trade (ZITF) will this year play host to an Urban Infrastructure Investment forum which will see stakeholders in infrastructure, investment and economic development spheres coming together to map out strategies to guide the regeneration of key infrastructure sub-sectors.

ZITF will be held from 24-28 April. In an interview, one of the organisers of the event, Mr Michael Ndinisa, who is the chief executive officer of MN Capital, said the importance of infrastructure was such that both the national and local governments need to ensure infrastructure provision is a prerequisite, not only for economic development, but also for the delivery of basic services such as water and health, among other things.

He said the forum will help map out strategies to guide the regeneration of key infrastructure sub-sectors as a means of restoring Zimbabwe as the economic hub of southern Africa.

“Lack of investment in infrastructure is a challenge that Zimbabwe is currently facing. As a result years of competing sectors in need of funding, Zimbabwe infrastructure development has lagged behind as a result, debasing the foundation for economic growth and development.

“The Government of Zimbabwe is currently calling on investors to service the substantial opportunities in the country and infrastructure provision, construction, tourism, manufacturing and agriculture are naturally top sectors for investors, which is where this conference will come in handy,” said Mr Ndinisa.

He said lack of financial resources has made investment in infrastructure a difficult undertaking in Zimbabwe hence the infrastructure financing gap is quite huge and widening.

He revealed that the 2018 Zimbabwe Urban Infrastructure Investment Summit was aiming to bring together policy makers, national and local Government officials, institutional investors, the service provider sectors as well as allied sectors around the table to engage on sustainable infrastructure resuscitation.

“The objectives of the forum will be to encourage infrastructure, real estate and property investments in Zimbabwe, grow the infrastructure project bond market and identify new strategies and technologies for challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

“We will also be looking to advance Public-Private Partnerships in infrastructure delivery, coming up with new opportunities for funding and governance models to drive transformational infrastructure projects and creating of an intelligence hub among policymakers, business leaders and services providers to forge new partnerships and gain competitive advantage,” said Mr Ndinisa.

Some of the delegates targeted to attend the one- day forum will be private and public sector entities involved in developmental policymaking, asset management, city and municipal town planning, construction, trade consulates, energy, water and sanitation, engineering, funding, infrastructure and property development, real estate companies and PPP advisory companies.

Mr Ndinisa said they were now finalising the list of speakers during the forum noting their goal was to have experts who will present on an overview of Zimbabwe urban infrastructure projects, strengthening the institutional and regulatory environment for infrastructure investment and the role of the diaspora in leading the recapitalisation and development of Zimbabwe’s critical infrastructure among a number of keynote presentations.

The forum comes as the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG)/Transnet Consortium partnered with NRZ to recapitalise the NRZ to the tune of $400 million and the deal is expected to be concluded by June this year.

DIDG further announced plans to set up an infrastructure development fund in the country as well as getting listing on the stock exchange to broaden its investment portfolio.

 

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