The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE 2021 edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) would be held in July after the Government approved the shift in dates from the traditional month of April.
Last year the event, one of the most significant in Bulawayo and the country at large was cancelled after the country went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement on Tuesday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Dr Mavis Sibanda said the ZITF will be held from 20 to 23 July
“Please be advised that the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) has approved that the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair be held during the period 20th to 23rd July 2021,” she said.
Last year’s event which was pencilled in for 21 to 25 April under the theme: “Augmenting Trade and Investment towards a Shared Economic Vision” and cancelled negatively impacted on the company’s revenue and tourism income for Bulawayo.
By the time the event cancellation was announced last year, the ZITF Company had sold 94 percent of its exhibition space with seven countries, Belarus, Botswana, Japan, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania confirming their participation.
In December, ZITF also sought guidance from the Government to defer payments made for 2020’s exhibition space by businesses to this year.
