Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
THE African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) delegation has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing construction of the African Trade Centre in Harare, which is scheduled for commissioning early next year.
Situated at the intersection of Herbert Chitepo Avenue and Seventh Street, the state-of-the-art building is fully funded by Afreximbank at a cost exceeding US$80 million, reflecting the bank’s commitment to promoting trade and economic development across the continent.
The centre will be home to the bank’s regional offices and will include a hotel, conference centre and a trade information centre.
In an interview with the ZBC News on the site this Friday, Afreximbank Executive Vice President Mr Denys Denya expressed satisfaction with the project for meeting set deadline standards.
“Afreximbank remains committed to doing business with Zimbabwe, and this is testified by this project, so going forward, we anticipate the complex to act as an element of attracting the much-needed global capital flows to Zimbabwe,” he said.
Afreximbank is convinced the project reflects its commitment to further increase business ties with the government of Zimbabwe.
“We are tapping into the Zimbabwean development matrix with the intention of further scaling up business portfolios, so indeed our assessment shows positive things to the extent that we expect the facility to benefit Zimbabweans,” Afreximbank president, Mr George Elombi said.
Afreximbank, head quartered in Cairo, Egypt, is a Pan African multilateral financier whose thrust is on financing development projects and providing financial support to member states on fiscal and monetary projects.
Zimbabwe, as a member of the institution, has benefited in terms of funding for several productive units, with the African Trade Centre expected to transform the country’s real estate sector landscape.
