HARARE, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere on Tuesday hailed rising Chinese investments for boosting the country's cement production capacity.
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare, the country's capital, the minister said Chinese companies have invested more than one billion U.S. dollars over the past year in Zimbabwe's cement industry.
He said the surge in Chinese investments aligns with the government's efforts to revitalize the manufacturing sector and accelerate the country's industrialization drive.
Muswere noted that the Zimbabwe Industrial Reconstruction and Growth Plan -- a transitional framework between the expired National Industrial Development Policy and a forthcoming new policy -- has laid a solid foundation for the country's industrialization agenda.
He added that the manufacturing sector, which accounted for about 15.3 percent of Zimbabwe's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, emerged as the top contributor to the economy.
According to the 2025 midterm budget statement, the manufacturing sector outperformed agriculture and mining, traditionally the main drivers of GDP, reflecting its growing role in Zimbabwe's economic growth. ■