THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) and Business Botswana have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a view to fostering trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. Business Botswana (BB) is an association representing the interests of employers in all economic sectors in that country. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the CZI annual congress and international investment forum held in Bulawayo last week. Speaking after the signing of the MoU, CZI president Mr Sifelani Jabangwe, said: “The signing of the MoU can now mean that the businesses of Botswana whenever they want to engage the industries in Zimbabwe, they come through CZI and similarly when the CZI members want to engage the businesses in Botswana they go through BB. “The two business representative bodies will help the engagements by going through the protocols that are expected, so we sincerely look forward to a fruitful relationship with Botswana. And the last time that we visited Botswana with His Excellency (President Mnangagwa), what we saw is Botswana has got the money and Zimbabwe has got the investment that Botswana would want to have”. Mr Jabangwe said their biggest challenge in the past was that as businesses between the two countries, they have not been adequately exchanging engagements. A BB senior representative who signed on behalf of his association said the signing of the MoU was the beginning of a new chapter as far as consolidating and fostering trade and investment ties between the two countries. “We know there is a lot of potential here (Zimbabwe) and also a lot of potential in Botswana. For other opportunities we are looking at areas like tourism and mining. The opportunities are here for us and they are also in Botswana for you,” said the official. - Chronicle