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. Herald
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