MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU–The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has set an ambitious target to grow Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector by at least 2.6 percent annually and improve capacity utilisation to 60 percent.
It also aims to raise the sector’s contribution to GDP to US$12 billion by 2030 as part of efforts to accelerate industrialisation and economic transformation under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
Speaking during a strategic meeting held in Gweru on Tuesday, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said the ministry’s roadmap will be guided by the NDS2, which seeks to anchor inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
“The NDS2 will provide our strategic compass, and it explicitly calls for inclusive and sustainable economic growth measured by GDP growth, investment levels, and formal employment. It also promotes economic structural transformation, measured by the increase in manufacturing value added, the share of manufactured exports, and export diversification,” said Ndlovu.
He said the draft Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy (ZNIDP) II, crafted through extensive consultations with the private sector and line ministries, sets “ambitious yet achievable” targets that are aligned with the country’s vision of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Ndlovu outlined four key strategic pillars that will underpin the ministry’s action plan, deepening industrial transformation and value addition; driving an agro-processing revolution; accelerating rural industrialisation; and improving the ease of doing business through regulatory reforms.
“We must move beyond rhetoric to tangible, measurable value addition across all sectors,” he said. “Working with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, we will champion the establishment of integrated agro-processing hubs to ensure more of our agricultural produce, from soya beans to fruits, is processed locally before export.”
He said the government will also promote rural industrialisation in line with the Devolution agenda, by fostering provincial-level industries based on locally available resources to create jobs and stimulate inclusive growth.
The strategic meeting also discussed ways to enhance Zimbabwe’s investment climate through data-driven policy interventions, continuous review of business regulations, and strengthening partnerships with industry players.
Ndlovu said the platform marked a critical step in fulfilling the ministry’s mandate to drive inclusive industrialisation, promote commercial development, and facilitate value addition across the country, in line with nation vision.
