Times Of Swaziland: MPS WANT ALL FACTORY SHELLS TRANSFERRED TO EIPA

MPS WANT ALL FACTORY SHELLS TRANSFERRED TO EIPA
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Sabelo Majola on 26/05/2023 07:50:00


MBABANE – Gilgal Member of Parliament (MP) Sandla Kenneth Fakudze wants to
move a motion that seeks to transfer all factory shells to the Eswatini
Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA).
In the Private Member’s motion which is seconded by Ndzingeni MP Lutfo
Dlamini, the legislator cites three reason for the transfer of the all the
factory shells to the authority one of them being that currently, they cannot
sue rental defaulters or even get judgement against those owing them, because
they lack ownership of the factory shells. However, he could not move the motion
in Parliament on Wednesday, because the Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg was
held up in another parliamentary business at the Senate.
“To move that the Honourable Minister for Finance, in consultation with the
Honourable Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade, should consider
transferring all factory shells to the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority
(EIPA) for the following reasons, inter alia: (1) Government has built up a
healthy stock of shells which are currently operated and maintained by EIPA in
terms of rent collection, servicing and personnel etc. even though their
ownership remains with the Ministry of Finance; (2) Currently, they cannot sue
rental defaulters or even get judgement against those owing them because they
lack ownership of the Factory Shells; (3) EIPA will be self-funding and will
have the financial muscle through this stock of factory shells and would be able
to borrow funds from financial institutions, internally or externally, at
concessional rates to further develop new factory shells and rehabilitate the
existing ones without government subvention; (4) Investment promotion agencies
in the Southern Africa Region (Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency) own factories
and properties in their own name and allowing EIPA to own assets places them at
par with the counterparts and ensures that they can compete in the chase to
secure investors.
It was shared in the motion that Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg should
appraise the House of Assembly on progress that would have been made within 21
days of passing of this motion. It should be noted that during the Ministry of
Commerce, Industry and Trade portfolio committee annual performance report
presentation in Parliament, Lomahasha MP Ndumiso Masimula applauded the Minister
Manqoba Khumalo for building factory shells. He also encouraged him to adhere to
the speech from the throne requesting the ministry to build factory shells
yearly.  He further opined that the factory shells should not be clustered along
the Manzini-Matsapha corridor but must be decentralised to other corners of the
country.
Khumalo shared that the ministry had adopted and embraced the policy by His
Majesty the King. The ministry is engaging with all stakeholders that should
inform the factory shell programme and shall develop a concept note that would
project the factory shell construction up to 2028.