The congress’ President, Dr Alexander Chisango, said the summit would draw participants from all over the world to expose the investment opportunities in the country and on the continent.
Dr Chisango said a number of investors from within the continent and those from abroad have shown interest in bringing their investment to Zimbabwe and also other countries on the continent, adding that the economic summit would create linkages between local businesses and investors.
He said there was need for employing a different approach to ensure an investment environment on the continent.
“We need to look at what we should do differently from what is currently obtaining, what we are enjoining the stakeholders to do differently are two things, collaboration and integration. These are the two clarion calls the summit is bringing to the continent,” said Dr Chisango.
He said the summit was putting more emphasis on practical solutions meant to bring economic reformation.
“We do not want to run the risk of doing all this and there is no economic turn-around after the summit. This summit brings investors to your doorstep for business partnership opportunities,” he said.
“From year to year, from month to month investors will be flying into the country via this platform and it will all be happening for the country’s sake. We have some of the investors who have indicated that they want to work with up to 1000 companies in terms of mergers and revitalisation across the continent. Zimbabwe as the host country should benefit.”
Three hundred participants are expected at the World Economic Congress 2017 international summit to be held from the 7th to the 9th of November at the Harare International Conference Centre.
The organisation said three heads of states have since confirmed participation at the summit.
The Ministry of Macro-economic Planning and Investment Promotion said it was concerned with the decrease in foreign direct investment of $102 million from $421 million in 2015 to $319 million in 2016, according to figures shown by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Some economists have cited policy inconsistencies and uncertainty as major challenges that have put foreign investors at bay. ZiFM News
