Following several months of vehicle number plate shortages, Government has tasked innovation hubs at universities to come up with a patent system for local production of plates with adequate security features.

This came out during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting which also received a number of reports on the implementation of the fourth 100-Day Cycle Priority Projects.

Addressing journalists during a post-Cabinet briefing at Munhumutapa Government Offices in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the Government resolved to pursue local options to help create employment for local scientists and save foreign currency.

“Following a presentation by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development on the need to produce number plates locally as an import substitution strategy, Cabinet tasked local innovation hubs to come up with a patent for the local production of number plates with the requisite security features,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

“Cabinet is confident that the move to produce number plates locally will ease the current shortages being experienced in the country due to the limited availability of foreign currency.

The local production of new number plates will also increase the utilisation of the country’s resources, including local scientists, and create employment for citizens.”State media