Govt engages, woos Diaspora investors

Source: Govt engages, woos Diaspora investors | The Herald July 15, 2019

Minister Mupfumira

Freeman Razemba Herald Reporter
Zimbabweans in the Diaspora are critical in economic transformation and should consider taking up abundant investment opportunities back home to develop the country, Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira has said.

Minister Mupfumira is leading a delegation holding a countrywide Diaspora Homecoming Roadshow in the United Kingdom aimed at increasing arrivals and heightening investor appetite on destination Zimbabwe.

Speaking at a Diaspora reception hosted in Leeds as part of the roadshow series, Minister Mupfumira called for dialogue and unity for the achievement of Vision 2030, which seeks to make Zimbabwe an upper middle income economy.

“Together we can make the Zimbabwe we wish to see only if we focus on the best we can offer to our beautiful homeland,” said Minister Mupfumira.

“Our call is to reason together and most importantly put our heads together to strategise on the best we can all do to foster the development of Zimbabwe, particularly in attaining the vision enunciated by the President — of rebuilding and transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy by 2030.

“This can never be achieved without commonality and a shared purpose.

“The Diaspora community has a critical role to play in the development of any country. The contribution of you people in the Diaspora to tourism promotion, foreign currency generation, employment creation and the national income can be indispensable.”

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) acting chief executive Mrs Rita Likukuma told the Diasporans that no investment was “too small”, adding that the country wishes to see everyone outside the country investing back home.

“With the accounted Diasporans population of 123 000 as reported by the United Kingdom National Statistics Office (NSO) 2018, if one of these invests as little as US$10, that will be a massive contribution,” she said.

The Diaspora community in Leeds assured Government officials that they would seriously consider taking up investment opportunities.

The Diaspora Homecoming Roadshow series covers Leeds, Huntingdon, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

The roadshow will see Minister Mupfumira launching the inaugural edition of the ZimThrive initiative, which will see a congregation of Diasporans in Zimbabwe from different source markets in April next year.

Government is in the process of finalising a Diaspora Tourism Strategy that should help Zimbabwe to meaningfully tap into obtainable opportunities, particularly for this market.