eBusiness Weekly
BULAWAYO – The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company (ZITF Company) said on Friday it will soon be approaching Government with a request to be granted a special economic zone status for its exhibition centre as it seeks to upgrade its infrastructure and meet international standards.
Speaking at the official opening of the 59th edition of the trade fair here, ZITF board chair Ruth Ncube said the move would be in line with its plans to establish a hotel and convention centre at its showground.
“We envisaged expanding our capacity by building an integrated infrastructure to offer a wide range of versatile, sophisticated and modernised facilities,” she said.
“This will include an 8 000 seater centre convention centre to match other centres in the region and beyond, the likes of Durban, Cape Town and Kigali conference centres and a five star luxury hotel.”
Ncube said 17 000 hectares of land had been set aside for the construction of the two projects.
It is envisaged that the hotel will be a 300-seater and is expected to ease accommodation challenges that exhibitors face in the city during the congested trade fair period.
Ncube said responses from interested investors for the projects had been “encouraging.”
“We will be approaching government to deposit our expression of interest for the granting of special economic zone status for the ZITF centre,” Ncube said.
“The drive is to enhance capacity utilisation of this exhibition centre and position Bulawayo City as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions venue. This will complement existing tourism operators in the city.”
Ncube said the trade fair was growing with the number of local exhibitors up 40 percent to 500 this year compared to last year while foreign exhibitors were up to 19 from 14.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa lauded the planned construction projects which he said would not only create employment but help “improve the quality of life for the people in the city.” – New Ziana
