NRZ delegation to reciprocate Turkish firm visit i...

NRZ delegation to reciprocate Turkish firm visit in efforts to revive parastatal

Tourism industry suggests PPPs to boost NRZ - The Standard

Zim Now Writer

A National Railways of Zimbabwe delegation is set to attend a feedback meeting in Turkey to pursue an investment deal with a Turkish firm which is part of ongoing efforts to revive the parastatal.

Officials from Turkish construction company, Yappe Merkez, were in Zimbabwe last year for an assessment of the NRZ’s assets including locomotives and railway infrastructure.

NRZ board chairperson Advocate Martin Dinha said that the hunt for a suitable suitor is on course.

“They did a proper technical assessment of the state of the NRZ, so they now want to provide us with findings of what they feel we should attend to and also discuss the issues of the financing aspect.

“This a very critical outstanding engagement with our Turkish partners,” he said.

Former Hwange Colliery Company board member, Ms Juliana Muskwe, is convinced that the NRZ is on the right track adding that the company is a key enabler of the country’s economy.

“The revival of NRZ is critical for the economy of Zimbabwe as it reduces transport costs compared to the use of roads.

“This will, in turn, reduce the cost of goods and services. Look at bulk products such as coal, grain and others. It is costly to transport them by road.

“In addition, the resuscitation of NRZ will also increase the lifespan of our roads as trucks with bulky goods damage roads. The revival of NRZ will also create thousands of jobs direct and indirect, so the process needs to be expedited,” she said.

The NRZ is targeting to move over three million tonnes of freight in 2023 anchored by commodities such as coal, lithium, and sugar.

Government is rallying parastatals to take the lead in the economic development of the country by contributing more than 40 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product as the country leaps towards Vision 2030.