Following several months of vehicle number plate shortages,
Government has tasked innovation hubs at universities to come up with a patent
system for local production of plates with adequate security features.
This came out during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting which also
received a number of reports on the implementation of the fourth 100-Day Cycle
Priority Projects.
Addressing journalists during a post-Cabinet briefing at
Munhumutapa Government Offices in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and
Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the Government resolved
to pursue local options to help create employment for local scientists and save
foreign currency.
“Following a presentation by the Minister of Transport and
Infrastructural Development on the need to produce number plates locally as an
import substitution strategy, Cabinet tasked local innovation hubs to come up with
a patent for the local production of number plates with the requisite security
features,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Cabinet is confident that the move to produce number
plates locally will ease the current shortages being experienced in the country
due to the limited availability of foreign currency. The local production of
new number plates will also increase the utilisation of the country’s
resources, including local scientists, and create employment for citizens.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said her Energy and Power Development
counterpart Fortune Chasi gave an update on progress on the expansion of two
units at Hwange Power Station.
She said Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister
Joel Biggie Matiza gave a detailed report on roadworks underway across the
country.
Minister Matiza had updated Cabinet on the completion of
the rail-road bridge on the Harare-Bulawayo Road in Norton which now awaits
commissioning.
Approaches for three bridges ravaged by Cyclone Idai on the
Wengezi-Chimanimani Road – Umvumvumvu Number 2, 3 and 4 were now complete and
open to open to traffic.
On the new Hwange 7 and 8 units, Minister Chasi reported
that: “The expansion of Hwange Thermal Power Station’s units 7 and 8, which is
envisaged to add 600 MW to the national grid, is progressing well, with all the
geotechnical investigations having been completed and design reviews,
excavations and site levelling at an advanced stage.
“The completion of the expansion works will help ease the
power supply challenges currently besetting the country.”
Minister Chasi also gave an update on the completion of 92
out of the 2 010 transformers to be manufactured countrywide under the
Transformer Manufacturing Project.
Under the Smart Metering Project, Minister Chasi told
Cabinet that 404 out of the targeted 2 000 smart meters configured with GSM Sim
Cards have been installed while under the Rural Provinces Grid Extension
projects, 31 of the 35 targeted institutions comprising schools and clinics
have been grid electrified, with prepaid meters connected.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister
Monica Mutsvangwa addresses the media in the company of Transport and
Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza (far left) and Energy
and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi at a post-Cabinet briefing in
Harare yesterday. – Picture: Believe Nyakudjara
Minister Mutsvangwa said Women Affairs, Community, Small
and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni presented a
detailed report on projects being undertaken by her Ministry.
The projects included the work on the upgrading of a
Technology Centre at Harare Institute of Technology and a Common Facility
Centre in Chinhoyi.
She said funding for 30 small and medium enterprises
projects in Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland North had been secured, while
monitoring of the funded projects is ongoing.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Environment, Tourism, Climate and
Hospitality Industry Mangaliso Ndlovu reported on projects under his ministry.
She said another report on the 100-day cycle priority
project was presented by Minister of Local Government and Public Works Cde July
Moyo covering the construction of the ZRP Tomlinson Depot Flats in Harare and
upgrading of the Mabhula Sewer Treatment Plant in Zvishavane Town among others.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and
Recreation Kirsty Coventry informed Cabinet that: “The National Sport and
Recreation Strategy has been reviewed and is set to be benchmarked with
international best practices. The establishment of the Tabudirira Vocational
Training Centre tomato processing plant in Mutoko, Mashonaland East Province is
at 60 percent completion and on course.” Herald
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