The Sunday News
THE Government has put in place measures to turn around the economy following President Mnangagwa’s clarion call that Zimbabwe is Open for Business.
Since taking over as President, His Excellency, President Mnangagwa has been walking the talk to make sure that Zimbabwe gets back to the regional and global business world through engagement and re-engagement initiatives that have started to bear fruit.
The Transitional Stabilisation Programme announced by Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube recently is set to drive the economy and lead to revival of industries and creation of jobs, as the country moves towards becoming a middle-income economy by 2030.
However, what is disappointing is that there are some in the business sector who are pulling the country backwards through improper business practices.
It is behind that background that President Mnangagwa said Government will not allow business to unjustifiably increase prices and neither will it tolerate saboteurs manipulating the market to create artificial shortages of goods.
The Head of State and Government further warned that political positions were not a licence to looting.
We urge those on the wrong side of the law to put their act together and do what is expected of them, which is professional conduct.
Addressing the Central Committee of the ruling Zanu-PF at the party headquarters in Harare last week, President Mnangagwa said he was alive to the machinations of detractors.
“Government is fully aware of the machinations by some detractors and economic opportunists who are bent on creating despondency in the country through the manipulations of the foreign currency market and creating artificial shortages,” he said.
“This has caused untold suffering to our people. As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges. The lifting of the ban of Statutory Instrument 122 is one such move meant to provide interim relief to our people. My Government will neither let people go without basic commodities, nor allow the willy-nilly depletion of incomes by a few rogue businesses and persons.”
President Mnangagwa said Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, ensured the lifting of SI 122 to cushion people, especially as the nation approached the festive season.
“The social media is driving deliberate panic buying of fuel and other commodities, let me assure you that as of yesterday we had begun to fund the market, we now have three times more fuel than is necessary . . . However, the medium to long term solutions lie in production. The manufacturing sector must be revived and our agriculture sector must produce more for feedstock into our industries. Stakeholders in all sectors of the economy must aggressively and deliberately set targets to grow their sectors for us to realise the economic growth we desire.”
