By Loretta B Manele

Harry Kuma, minister for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration (MCILI) says the Special Economic Zone Bill provides for attracting investors and can help relocate growth from our urban areas to our rural areas.

He expressed this whilst talking on the floor or parliament during the Sine Die Motion last month.

Initially, Kuma said he would like to see the bill passed in parliament and become implemented.

He voiced that it provides for attracting investors to come in and help the country grow sustainably and diversify with focus on export.

“In fact, it could if we allow investors to go to the remote parts of our country, it’s a means of relocating our growth from our urban centres to the peripheral of our rural areas.”

He thinks this can be feasible for the country to develop.

“We have a SOEs (State-Owned Enterprises) and other companies that can be turned into a public company and give opportunity for our people to be part of some of these very profitable entities.”

On another note, Kuma said apart from this bill, funding for programs in his ministry like SMEs (Small-Medium Enterprises) and export processing is very important.

He pointed out that the most important one is funding to DBSI.

Kuma said if they increase this funding, he believes that they will reap a lot of benefits in terms of enabling people to have access to finance to develop small medium enterprises.