HARARE (Zimbabwe Investor) - The Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Walter Mzembi has lambasted inadequate resource allocation on the part of Government for the upcoming 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa.

Speaking after a meeting of an inter-ministerial taskforce on tourism, Minister Mzembi pointed out that he will present Finance Minister Tendai Biti today with a budget on preparatory requirements. South Africa reportedly set aside ZAR18 million in its World Cup preparations.

“We are not saying government should give us as much money as South

Africa has set aside for its own preparations. If there is no fiscal commitment to World Cup 2010 then there will be no socio-economic development for the country,” said Minister Mzembi.

Zimbabwe will host up to four teams at a cost of US$70,000 per team in terms of their training and accommodative requirements this year.

Tourism in Zimbabwe anticipated contributing 15 % to the gross domestic product by 2012.

The inter-ministerial taskforce on tourism revealed that an assessment has shown an urgent need to upgrade border posts and the road infrastructure as a matter of urgency.

The recent call comes in the wake of Zimbabwe's Sport, Tourism, Image and Communication Taskforce (STIC) bemoaning the slow progress at border posts in terms of expeditiously processing traveller’s documents and passports.