Zimbabwe govt framing bill for Bulawayo textile SEZ

The aim of the SEZ is not only to revive old companies, but also to attract new investment into the sector, according to Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.

The setting up of SEZ would create jobs in textiles, clothing and leather sector. It is also expected to increase cotton growing around Bulawayo, attracting ginners, weavers and spinners.

It is estimated that over 20,000 workers have become jobless during the past few years as more than 100 companies, including those in the manufacturing, textile and clothing sectors, have closed down.

Companies like Ascot Clothing, National Blankets and Archer Clothing are among those that have either stopped functioning or have been down-sized leaving many people unemployed.

Use of outdated technologies was one of the reasons for these textile and clothing companies being unable to thrive, as it made difficult for them to compete with products from Asian countries. Moreover, power outages also affected production efficiency. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India