THE Industry and Commerce minister Sekai Nzenza, pictured, will join her ministry of Finance and Economic Development counterpart — Mthuli Ncube — at a business breakfast meeting being convened by the Daily News at a local hotel tomorrow.
Nzenza’s participation has added weight to the discussions which seek to find solutions to a myriad of challenges the business community is currently grappling with in the wake of threatening headwinds that are a result of instabilities in Eastern Europe where a devastating war has broken out between Russia and Ukraine.
Already, there have been serious disruptions in supply chains for commodities, with Zimbabwe not being spared as prices for grains and petroleum products have spiked as a result.
This is at a time when the Zimbabwe dollar has been headed southwards, putting pressure on inflation which scaled past 70 percent last month.
Lewis Chikurunhe, the commercial director for the Daily News said yesterday attendance at the event shall be on a first-come-first-served basis, urging those who wish to participate to get in touch with the organisers in good time in order to avoid disappointments.
“It is nice to see that our business people are responding positively to the invitation. This goes to show that they appreciate the importance of engaging the policy-makers in order to advocate for policies that work in their favour.
“The time for mourning and groaning about the unfavourable environment while seated in our living rooms is over. The game in town is that of engagement and collaboration,” said Chikurunhe.
The business breakfast forum, which is being co-hosted by the ministry of Finance and Economic Development, has attracted overwhelming interest from captains of industry and commerce who shall be sharing their insights with Ncube and Nzenza.
To run under the theme “Reinforcing sustainable economic recovery and resilience in a period of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA),” the event is set to create an interactive platform for captains of industries and the local business community to interface with bureaucrats in government.
The permanent secretary in the ministry of Finance, George Guvamatanga, is among other high-profile dignitaries who are expected to grace the event.
Leaders of industry and commerce are particularly itching to share their experiences with Ncube, the head of Treasury.
As a result, the organisers of the event expanded the list of discussants to give officials from the ministry of Finance an opportunity to hear insights from industrialists who are a vital cog in the workings of the country’s economy.
The panellists for the forum now include Econet Wireless of Zimbabwe chief executive officer, Douglas Mboweni; PPC Zimbabwe managing director, Kelibone Masiyane; Canada Malunga of Masimba Construction, Jimmy Psillos of Crystal Candy and Phil Mushosho of OK Zimbabwe Limited.
It is being hoped that the additions will add perspectives from the practitioners’ and compliment feedback from leaders of Business Member Organisation (BMOs) who shall be giving a helicopter view of issues affecting their members.
Representing the BMOs on the panel is Sekai Kuvarika from the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries; Chris Mugaga from the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce; Isaac Kwesu from the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe and Denford Mutashu of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers.