UNEMPLOYMENT IN ZIM;GOVERNMENT BLAMED
By Evans Dakwa
A recent youth employment conference organised by Youth Forum in Harare has blamed
government for not doing enough to address the unemployment crisis.
Wellington Zindove, the national coordinator for the Youth Forum, said government’s heavy
spending was not helping the situation by procuring goods from outside the country, even
when some of them are available locally.
`Why can’t government use vehicles produced locally, no matter how inferior they are. This
will help to save millions of jobs that are lost annually,” said Zindove in apparent reference to
the government`s importation of vehicles for parliamentarians at a time when the country`s
motor industry giant, Willovale motors is struggling with viability problems largely attributed
to the shrinking of its market base.
The government under the ZIMASSET economic blueprint is aiming at creating employment
and the move to procure from outside seems a direct contradiction to what the economic
blueprint seeks to achieve.
Zindove said the government had a habit of coming up with good policies which were never
enforced.
Most of the government’s policies including ZIMASSET are good but there is no political
will to implement,” said Zindove.
Gabriel Choga, Buy Zimbabwe marketing manager speaking at the same conference had no
kinds words for the government for failing to buy locally and promote local industry which is
struggling leading to many job loses. He said if government was sincere about creating
employment for youths, there was need to ensure that the local industry was performing to
maximum capacity
`If Croco Motors can afford to import cars, why don’t they import kits and assemble them
locally, this will create employment for the youths of our country”, said Choga.
Unemployment figures in the country have continued to spiral with most firms downsizing
and or shutting down completely leaving thousands unemployed.. Conflicting figures relating
to the actual unemployment rate have been given, but what is of no debate is that many young
people and the general populace is failing to get formal jobs and the few privileged to be
employed are always holding their hearts fearing retrenchment as the economic down turn
affects industrial productivity and viability
A recent youth employment conference organised by Youth Forum in Harare has blamed
government for not doing enough to address the unemployment crisis.
Wellington Zindove, the national coordinator for the Youth Forum, said government’s heavy
spending was not helping the situation by procuring goods from outside the country, even
when some of them are available locally.
`Why can’t government use vehicles produced locally, no matter how inferior they are. This
will help to save millions of jobs that are lost annually,” said Zindove in apparent reference to
the government`s importation of vehicles for parliamentarians at a time when the country`s
motor industry giant, Willovale motors is struggling with viability problems largely attributed
to the shrinking of its market base.
The government under the ZIMASSET economic blueprint is aiming at creating employment
and the move to procure from outside seems a direct contradiction to what the economic
blueprint seeks to achieve.
Zindove said the government had a habit of coming up with good policies which were never
enforced.
Most of the government’s policies including ZIMASSET are good but there is no political
will to implement,” said Zindove.
Gabriel Choga, Buy Zimbabwe marketing manager speaking at the same conference had no
kinds words for the government for failing to buy locally and promote local industry which is
struggling leading to many job loses. He said if government was sincere about creating
employment for youths, there was need to ensure that the local industry was performing to
maximum capacity
`If Croco Motors can afford to import cars, why don’t they import kits and assemble them
locally, this will create employment for the youths of our country”, said Choga.
Unemployment figures in the country have continued to spiral with most firms downsizing
and or shutting down completely leaving thousands unemployed.. Conflicting figures relating
to the actual unemployment rate have been given, but what is of no debate is that many young
people and the general populace is failing to get formal jobs and the few privileged to be
employed are always holding their hearts fearing retrenchment as the economic down turn
affects industrial productivity and viability
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