Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Amon Murwira has urged local companies to manufacture water purification chemicals in order to reduce the cost of potable water.
Murwira made these remarks during the question and answer session in Parliament, Wednesday, while standing in for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Anxious Masuka.
He was responding to Member of Parliament for Magunje, Cecil Kashiri, who had raised concern at the cost of imported water purification chemicals.
“There has been talk around the expenses that are incurred in purchasing chemicals for purification of water which are imported from Zambia into Zimbabwe. The price goes up three, four times. What is the ministry going to do to try and reduce the cost of purifying water?” Kashiri asked.
Murwira explained that the responsibility of acquiring purification chemicals lies with local authorities however one method to cut costs would be if the chemicals used are manufactured locally.
“As the Ministry of Agriculture, we are concerned with the provision of bulky water. When it comes to the purification of that water, it is the responsibility of the councils. What is very important is to know that the only way this country will be able to reduce the price of the purification of water is to start working on the local provision of chemicals, ensuring we are capable of providing the chemicals locally,” he said.
“We cannot always import these things because we cannot control that price. So, the method which we can use as a policy, let us use chemicals we produce locally. So, this is the policy and we believe as we move into this innovation and local production route, we will be able to reduce all the prices that have got a forex component.”
