Mashonaland East Bureau
GOVERNMENT will continue to promote peace and political stability that enables businesses to operate without hindrances, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Dr Aplonia Munzverengwi, has said.
Dr Munzverengwi made the remarks while touring Proton's new bread manufacturing plant installed by the company in Marondera.
Proton Bakers invested a total of US$3,6 million in the new state-of-the-art bread plant.
The investment included the extension of the bakery plant building to accommodate warehousing and dispatch for increased capacity.
Additionally, it involved acquiring an extra fleet for increased distribution and expanding the Harare and Bulawayo Depot centres.
Further, the investment has enabled the company to grow its bread production capacity by 45 percent, marking a significant step forward in capturing the market share.
The plant has a capacity to produce 200 000 loaves of bread per day, but it is currently running at between 75 percent to 80 percent capacity depending on market demand, availability of raw materials, production interruptions and other factors.
"As Government, we applaud Proton Bakers for the investment and the benefits that will be drawn from the project. As Mashonaland East Province, we are indeed proud of the achievements made by Proton Bakers, a major contributor to the provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The employment levels at Proton Bakers make a huge impact to the economic and social livelihoods in our province. I am informed that the company employs 1 463 employees across its Marondera Plant, Harare depot and Bulawayo Depot.
"Mashonaland East province takes immense pride in Proton Bakers. The company is not only outstanding for quality products but also for its dedication to responsible citizenship. I note that the company continuously challenges itself to ensure that its actions, commitments, and initiatives align with its heritage and vision, focusing on areas with the greatest impact," she said.
Minister Munzverengwi was also taken through Proton Bakers' journey to success as well as the challenges the company is facing.
"Fuel remains a critical component in the bread production and distribution thereof. We will engage line Ministries in the fuel sector to advocate for provision of bulk fuel in local currency to support the industry.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"I am told that the company has a water storage capacity of 240,000 litres and a daily average usage of 96,000 litres with 74 percent of it being allocated to production processes and the remainder to other ancillary activities. It is also noted that all the water used by the bakery is sourced from the local municipality and the company enjoys a direct line privilege. However, as Government, we continue to look at rehabilitating nearby dams to ensure uninterrupted water supplies to the bakery as well as other companies in the province."
Proton Bakers managing director Mr Gerry Tselentis said as an organisation, they remain committed to deliver the best products to consumers nationwide and thanked the Second Republic for creating an environment conducive for business to thrive.
"Honourable Minister, it is a great source of pride to us as Proton Bakers to be in this privileged position of receiving you. I am furthermore happy to advise that Proton Bakers has not stood still since your last visit to us with the President in 2020. In fact, there has been considerable developments and progress which have taken place. The generally conducive and enabling economic environment prevalent in the country has greatly assisted the company to install a new bread manufacturing plant, adding a further 2500 loaves of bread to our production per hour or a further 60 000 loaves per day.
"There have naturally also been many and considerable challenges, some of which we have overcome and some of which we continue to grapple with. Nevertheless, we remain committed as always, to delivery of an exceptional range of products and customer service and we strive to support and give back to, first and foremost, our province, Mashonaland East as well as at national level".
