Talkmore Gandiwa/Ryan Chigoche
HARARE – Local bus manufacturer AVM Africa has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Belarus bus manufacturer, Minsk Automobile for the manufacture of buses in Zimbabwe using Belarus technology that will see the production of about 50 buses monthly and will also benefit around 92 local companies in the value chain.
The MoU was signed by AVM Chief Executive Officer Jacob Kupa and Minsk Automobile Deputy Director Sergei Shulyak during the official opening of the third Zimbabwe-Belarus Business Forum that was held in Harare this morning.
According to the MoU Minsk Automobile will set up a manufacturing plant in the country as they commit to produce 50 buses per month utilizing steel from the Manhize Steel Plant.
This will be the latest partnership between the two countries as the Eurasian country has supplied agricultural, mining , and fire-fighting equipment before to bring the total trade between the two countries to US$56 million.
Kupa said the company is eager to ease transport woes in the country by ramping up bus manufacturing in the country. “Through this mutual agreement with Belarus, we would like to scale up the production of buses for both local and export market,” said
Currently, of the buses which AVM are manufacturing, 65% of the components used are locally produced while the remaining 35% are imported highlighting the company’s thrust on strengthening ties with local manufacturing companies in terms of sourcing raw materials.
Kupa said, they are 92 independent companies that feed into AVM Africa with raw materials.
Minsk Automobile and AVM have already produced a prototype new bus which has a passenger capacity of 120 people.
