The Bulawayo City Council has set aside land for infrastructural development as well as coming up with a number of incentives to lure potential investors following the city’s designation as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Government recently set up an 11 -member Special Economic Zones (SEZs) board which is expected to stimulate investment flows from domestic and international markets into strategic sectors of the economy.

Because of the region’s economic strength in livestock production, Bulawayo has been designated as a leather and textile special economic zone.

Speaking at a recent SEZ stakeholder’s consultative meeting in the city, Bulawayo City Council economic development officer, Brain Hlongwane, said council had set aside land for infrastructural development in an effort to attract investors.

“Council has so far identified four sites for the establishment of SEZ. The identified place has got 256 stands ranging in size from 3 000 to 8 000 square metres with an overall size of 188, 64 hectares.

“The area is also served by three rail lines to Victoria Falls and Zambia as well as Harare and Beitbridge. The place is also partially serviced with roads,” said Hlongwane.

He said the city council has made available 127 stands in Kelvin East ranging from 1 000 to 3 000 square metres.

“Another option will be the vacant idle closed factories as stand -alone SEZ units quick wins readily available fully serviced with electricity as well while another option will be the area around the airport which is ideal for electronics,” said Hlongwane.

Apart from availing land, Hlongwane said the local authority had also introduced flexible conditions and payment terms for prospective land developers as well as coming up with an inter-departmental committee that interrogates business proposals to eliminate bureaucracy.

Hlongwane said the local authority was also offering a 50 percent rates payments reduction to companies which employ more than 100 people while offering 100 percent rebate for development effected within the first year for five years with the offer cascading to 20 percent for one year for an investor carrying out development within five years.

Dar es Salaam City is lined up for three major sewage treatment plants estimated at 600m US dollars (about 1.320trl/-).

The ambitious plans will enable the country’s commercial capital to boost its capacity of treating sewage from 10 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020.

What is more, the pipeline currently discharging the unwanted liquid into the Indian Ocean will be diverted to a plant to be set up at Jangwani area, according to Acting Chief Executive Officer of Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA), Eng Romanus Mwang’ingo.

The Acting CEO explained that the treatment dams would be constructed at Jangwani, Kurasini and Mbezi Beach.

They will be designed in a way that they will generate their own power through biomass to operate the plants.

“Treated water from the plants will be used for other purposes such as cooling of industrial parts and irrigation while the remainder will be used as manure for agriculture and gardens in the city,” the DAWASA boss said during a news conference at the Tanzania Information Services (Maelezo) auditorium.

The Jangwani plant, to be constructed at a cost of 90m US dollars (about 198bn/-), will have the capacity to treat 200,000 cubic metres per day and it will include a pipeline network running from Ubungo to Jangwani.

Eng Mwang’ingo said the network would branch off to Kinondoni, Mwananyamala, Msasani, Ilala and the central business district.

First phase of the project will have a plant with the capacity to treat 25,000 cubic metres per day, covering a pipeline network of 17.43 kilometres from Magomeni to Jangwani.

“During this phase, the pipeline discharging sewerage in the ocean will be diverted to the plant.

The project is being funded by the government of Korea through Exim Bank and the funds have been availed already,” he explained.

At Mbezi Beach, the treatment plant will be set up at Kilongawima area and will be able to process 16,000 cubic metres of sewerage per day, it will consist a network of 97 kilometres covering Mbezi Beach, Kawe, Tegeta and surrounding areas.

“This project is designed to cost 65m US dollars (approximately 143bn/-) and funded by the World Bank. We are now awaiting a permit from the bank to start inviting contractors to implement the project,” he explained.

The Kurasini plant will cover a network of 90 kilometres from Keko, Chang’ombe, Kurasini, Temeke and National Stadium and will have a capacity of treating 11,000 cubic metres per day.

The costs of the project are still being analysed but it will be financed by French Development Agency (AFD).