Government invests in infrastructure and policies to promote innovation: VP Chiwenga

Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter

VICE President Chiwenga has urged the nation to embrace innovation, foster creativity, and invest in digital infrastructure to propel the country’s economy forward.

The Vice President said the Government has taken significant steps towards creating a supportive ecosystem for promoting innovations through investing in robust infrastructure and enabling policies that seek to improve connectivity, enhance productivity, and unlock new growth opportunities and trade.

Speaking during the official opening of the International Business Conference held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Vice President Chiwenga said in addition to physical infrastructure, the nation currently stands on the cusp of a new era driven by innovation in the digital economy.

He said in a world demanding progress, innovation holds the key to unlocking new industrial frontiers and propelling trade to newer extraordinary heights.

“As the country marches towards becoming an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030, this theme resonates deeply with our collective aspirations as espoused in the National Development Strategy 1, where one of the 14 priority areas is human capital development and innovation.

“In that regard, it is essential for us, as the citizenry to harness innovation for the improvement of our industries and commerce in sync with President Mnangagwa’s vision for this great nation,” said VP Chiwenga.

The Vice President said the government was alive to the fact that successful innovation requires a supportive ecosystem that includes robust infrastructure and enabling policies.

“In that regard, the Government is investing heavily in infrastructural development to improve connectivity, enhance productivity, and unlock new growth opportunities and trade,” he said.

He said a case in point is the launch of the 1 500 kilometre fibre optic running along the Dabuka railway line to increase connectivity for green fields, institutions, and other economic hubs along the railway line.

VP Chiwenga also highlighted that Government has made huge strides in spearheading the adoption of Information Communication Technologies and rolling out e-Government systems.

“To date, several electronic systems including the e-Government Procurement system, National Identity Management, Integrated Financial Management Information System, Integrated Electronic Case Management system, and Zimbabwe Electric Single Window for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, among others, have been launched.

“This helps streamline administrative processes, improve service delivery and enhance transparency and accountability. In this rapidly evolving landscape, I urge the business community to harness the potential of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, to create new opportunities, improve efficiency, and enhance competitiveness on the global stage,” he said.

“By prioritising research and development, supporting entrepreneurship, and promoting digital literacy, we can unlock the full potential of our workforce and drive sustainable growth,” added the Vice President.

With Zimbabwe offering a wealth of opportunities across key sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, agriculture, and tourism, VP Chiwenga reiterated that over the years, the overall ease-of-doing-business environment in Zimbabwe has been improving.

“Government has been pursuing ease-of-doing-business reforms as part of broad measures to enhance the country’s competitiveness and investment environment. I encourage you, to join us in shaping the future. Invest in Zimbabwe and become an architect of global supply chains.

“Zimbabwe is on the move to become a producer of high-value goods and services, not just for ourselves, but for the global market. We need a nurturing ecosystem for the spark of innovation to truly ignite a global inferno of progress. This requires collaborative efforts of Government, academia and established corporations,” he said.

The Vice President further noted that the Second Republic, ably led by President Mnangagwa, leads the way with supportive policies, streamlined regulations, access to capital, and tax incentives that empower aspiring industrial innovators.

@nyeve14