Government targets forex earnings in education

Published: 01 January 2019

GOVERNMENT is targeting to generate foreign currency through human capital exportation and has renewed negotiations with South Sudan over exporting unemployed graduates.

In the past, Government revealed that it was working on a policy to export graduates with more than 16 000 registered under the scheme. However, nothing concrete has materialised as it emerges the deal was not finalised with Africa's youngest nation South Sudan.

In an interview yesterday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Minister Professor Amon Murwira said Government in 2019 wants to finalise the exportation of labour programme with South Sudan.

"During innovation Africa, I had the privilege of meeting my counterpart, Minister of Higher Education from South Sudan in order to learn at which stage we were (in regards to exportation of labour). But I then learnt that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was not finalised. And we are going to finalise the MoU as we enter 2019," said Prof Murwira.

He said Zimbabwe prides itself about being an educated nation and this should be reflected through earning foreign currency from education. Prof Murwira said the country could earn more Diaspora remittances through exportation of graduates.

"We always say you kick with your best leg. If Zimbabwe's best leg is education it means our export should be education. Australia's fourth largest export is education. In Zimbabwe we pride ourselves of being very literate. We discovered that we have to up our skills but we know that we are better off in this area. It must be seen through foreign currency inflows using education," he said.

"What that means is that we are going to work very hard to make sure agreements with South Sudan for example among others is finalised so that we can begin the exportation of our graduates."

Prof Murwira said his Ministry is also aiming at mopping up foreign currency through attracting foreign students to learn at the country's universities He said to attract foreign students Government has standardised the qualification framework at higher and tertiary institutions while in the process of upgrading universities' infrastructure. Prof Murwira said his Ministry will embark on an aggressive marketing drive to promote local universities.

"We are compiling what we call our flagship programmes for every university. This flagship programme is the one that we advertise outside to attract people into Zimbabwe and it is also helping with the exportation of our expertise," said Prof Murwira.

- chronicle

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