Sixth, while rural housing has been progressing remarkably well, especially at rural growth points, I am concerned that the supply of key amenities, including water, sewer services, all-weather roads and electricity, seem to lag behind.
My decision to upgrade the old District Development Fund, DDF, to a Rural Development Authority was partly prompted by this concern. The Authority has to work closely with rural councils to ensure the burgeoning rural settlements are backed up by needful amenities. This thrust should also ensure traditional blair toilets are upgraded to modern flushable systems. With our plans for rural industrialisation, it is critically important that we plan for bigger, agglomerated settlements in rural areas.
Seventh, and related to rural housing, I am happy that alternative sources of power are being harnessed to service most modern rural settlements. This is in line with our goal of removing households from our national power grid through solar technologies.
What makes me anxious is that new, ultra-modern housing structures which are being built in rural areas do not enjoy insurance cover. I therefore task the insurance industry to come forward with suggestions for Government to consider, so this urgent area is addressed. These high-value investments must be secured against all manner of risks, as happens in urban areas.
Eighth, I am happy that the area of mortgages is now receiving attention, with the relevant ministry developing three models which ensure more Zimbabweans, including those in the diaspora and in informal employment, are able to access homes and properties. In the same vein, I want to encourage insurance and pension funds to do more to increase supply in housing.
Ninth, and quite critical in my view, we need reliable data so output and value in the whole construction sector is captured and reflects in our Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
This is not happening currently, resulting in an unhappy situation where our GDP is understated and undervalued. I challenge the construction industry to work with relevant Government ministries to ensure value in the construction and real estate sectors is scientifically recorded and fed into our GDP figures so we know what our real worth is as an economy.
Indeed, while much is happening already in the construction sector, a lot more remains to be done.
By President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the Sunday Mail
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