Government has expressed satisfaction with progress in the roll-out of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) computerisation project aimed at plugging revenue leakages and reduce overhead costs.
As part of its five-year strategic plan, which runs from 2018 to 2023, the state-owned institution has prioritised maximising shareholder value by strengthening accountability and digitalising its systems.
Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Honourable Mangaliso Ndlovu says the government is pleased with the progress in the roll-out of the computerisation project which is envisaged to improve revenue inflows and reduce operational cost.
“Zimparks is a very huge institution which cuts right across the country and obviously we are worried about leakages because a lot of our process is still manual. We have thus embarked on digitalisation project which will see us better able to capture information but also to drive down cost.”
The computerisation of the parastatal’s systems comes at a time the authority is also finalising the implementation of the customer loyalty programme which will see tourists getting discounts for frequently visiting Zimparks facilities.
“We are keen also to introduce the loyalty programme which will allow us to analyse if you have visited two or three Zimparks areas, what discounts you are getting so that we promote domestic tourism as well as international travel.”
The country’s wildlife authority has also embraced technology in the fight against poaching and wildlife crimes as evidenced by the use of drones and Closed- Circuit Television (CCTV) to monitor some of the protected areas.
