President Mnangagwa yesterday commissions a $30 million
Varun Beverages plant in Harare and called for more foreign companies to be
part of the country’s new economic drive aimed at upgrading people’s living
standard and creating a middle class economy by 2030.
Varun Beverages is a subsidiary of global player RJ Corp. The firm produces Pepsi products, among other
beverages like Miranda and Mountain Dew.
It has operations
across Africa. The state-of-the-art plant worth commissioned by President
Mnangagwa has capacity to produce 600 000 bottles of soft drinks daily.
Since it started operations locally, Varun Beverage Group
aggressively penetrated the market, forcing competitors in the same industry to
slash their prices.
Officially opening the plant, President Mnangagwa urged
Zimbabweans to partner foreign investors to strengthen their business aptitude.
“Let me once again invite more companies, both local and
foreign to join us in this journey of progress and a new wave of prosperity for
all the people of Zimbabwe,” said the President.
“While this investment attests to the steadily increasing
attractiveness of our business climate to investors from far and wide, my
Government is continuously monitoring our investment climate to ensure that it
remains conducive and open for business to grow and succeed.
“Meanwhile, I urge prospective local and foreign investors
to form partnerships and joint ventures in order to strengthen their business
aptitude and enhance their competitive edge.
“We are indeed confident that this investment will be an
important contributor to the economic development of our country through the
creation of both upstream and downstream employment opportunities which will
impact on the standard of living of numerous families across the country.”
President Mnangagwa hailed Varun Beverages which is
headquartered in India for its vision of planning to set up processing plants
for other products such as potatoes saying that would help to create employment
for the nation.
He said such plans
also resonated with the Government’s industrialisation policy.
Said President Mnangagwa: “I applaud Varun Beverages for
their long term plans to diversify its business strategy to encompass economic
empowerment programmes.
“Such an approach will go a long way to enhance synergies
and linkages between and within sectors, which will also aid in the realisation
of our national vision to achieve decent jobs and broad based empowerment.”
President Mnangagwa said the new technology being used by
Varun Beverages would also help to enhance productivity and enhance efficiency
that would in turn result in price stabilisation.
He urged the bottling company to grow its export market in
the region and beyond using Zimbabwe as its production hub.
“On its part, my Government stands ready to facilitate
processes and regulations that enhance and promote export lead economic
growth,” said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangagwa
flanked by Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha ( right) and RJ Corp Group
Head Technical Rajinder Bagga (centre) tour the pepsi plant during the official
opening of Pepsi Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday. Picture by Justin Mutenda
“In this vein, we are implementing the Border Efficient
Management System which seeks to transform our border posts into world class
ports of entry, capable of efficiently facilitating the movement of goods and
people.”
Varun Beverages chairman and founder Mr Ravi Jaipuria said:
“I have an Argo based Project for producing “potato chips” which I truly
believe has a huge potential, it’s a core staple diet and having huge export
potential across African countries. In this project we will be partnering with local
farmers – which shall generate direct employment to more than 600 farmer
families.
“In addition we will be supporting farmers with specialised
extension services for growing right quality of potatoes. A special variety of
seeds will be developed with the help of latest technical knowhow keeping in
mind the local weather and soil quality,” he said. Herald
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