Speaking in a telephone interview from Gaborone, BEDIA's export promotion officer Maxwell Mosinyi said instead of travelling for the show, the authority would arrange contact promotion initiatives.
"The ZITF is not among the trade fairs that we will participate in this year," he said.
"However, Botswana companies will keep in contact with their Zimbabwean suppliers and customers through BEDIA because we will arrange contact promotion missions between them. Under this strategy, BEDIA would facilitate one-to-one engagement between our companies and their customers or suppliers in that country."
He would not indicate why Botswana would not be represented at the Bulawayo fair. This year's event, which starts tomorrow, ends on Saturday and has attracted at least 690 exhibitors, according to the ZITF Company, which organises the show.
Eighteen of the exhibitors are foreign firms from China, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique and Namibia, among others.
Mosinyi however said the absence of Botswana did not signal a cessation of ties with the ZITF company. He said BEDIA and ZITF still cooperate, a year after they signed a technical cooperation agreement under which the latter helps the former to stage the Global Expo which is held annually in Gaborone.
"ZITF remain our technical partners, with whom we work closely in putting together our own show, Global Expo. The Global Expo will be held here (in Gaborone) in October. This shows that we still work together," added Mosinyi.
Botswana's participation at the ZITF has been declining in recent years with only two companies, Lobatse Tile and Master Joinery and Aluminum, exhibiting last year. The year before, about five had participated.
Every year, a foreign head of state officially opens the fair and in 2001, President Festus Mogae was the guest of honour. Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete officiated last year.
