Harare — AT least 700 delegates are expected to attend the Zimbabwe International Investment Indaba scheduled for Harare this week, to market Zimbabwe as a safe and lucrative investment destination.

The Government hopes that the conference will assist in increasing investment from four percent to 25 percent of the Gross Domestic Product by year-end.

Addressing a Press conference in Harare last Thursday, Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Elton Mangoma said it was the mandate of his ministry to co-ordinate and monitor sectoral development programmes and strategies to lure investment.

"To achieve sustainable national economic recovery, the ministry is charged with the responsibility to create a macroeconomic environment conducive to investment promotion," Minister Mangoma said.

He said such levels of investment entailed a benchmarking which would allow for an economy to boost capacity utilisation to promote investment both at domestic and international levels.

Minister Mangoma said the Ministry had adopted several strategies, among them, designing and co-ordinating economic policies that promote domestic and foreign direct investment.

Responding to a question on whether or not the countries that have had sour relations in the past with the country would be also attending, Minister Mangoma said for the sake of national healing the past hatchets would have to be buried.

"We want to get Zimbabwe working again and one way to attain these endeavours is to open our economy.

"To showcase Zimbabwe as a competitive investment destination, thereby attracting capital flows and technology and ultimately position our country as an economic giant that it once was," said Minister Mangoma.