The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE CEO Africa Roundtable has called upon policy makers to ensure that economic policies enacted in Zimbabwe are investor-friendly and promote an environment for public and private sector businesses to thrive.
In their monthly bulletin, CEO Africa Roundtable board chairman, Mr Oswell Binha urged policymakers to enact friendly policies that will see the country’s economy grow by 5,5 percent in 2022.
“We urge policymakers to ensure that the economic policies enacted are investor-friendly and promote an environment for public and private sector businesses to thrive.
“Data from the World Economic Outlook Update indicate that the global economy will grow 4.9 percent in 2022, while Zimbabwe’s Finance Ministry is optimistic that the country’s economy will grow by 5,5 percent in 2022 underpinned by higher output in mining, manufacturing, agriculture, construction, accommodation, and tourism,” said Mr Binha.
He said within Zimbabwe’s economic growth trajectory, the CEO Africa Roundtable will continue to roll out various programmes and conferences to champion an outward-looking approach in building synergies.
“As you may be aware, we are one of the few private sector bodies to have taken private sector leaders to several international markets.
We hope to make Zimbabwe the centre of private sector development,” said Mr Binha.
He said they were going to introduce new programmes such as Business after Hours to promote a positive trading climate and networking among CEO Africa Roundtable members and stakeholders.
Mr Binha said with the year 2021 having been uneven in the local, regional and global business landscape, it was worth noting that Zimbabwe recovered from a GDP contraction of minus six percent and minus 4,1 percent in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
“Under the parabola of Zimbabwe’s economic recovery plan and within the context of bringing Zimbabwe’s economy back to pre-pandemic normalcy, CEO Africa Roundtable played its critical role in economy-centred rational necessary deliberations.
“The Roundtable’s efforts throughout 2021 were all in harmony with the goal of ‘Championing Economic Development across Africa’ and envisioning an economically advanced continent where public and private sector leaders and corporate citizens are a dynamic force in the global development arena.
We also played our part in giving sound advice to policymakers to ensure the sobriety of policies that promote economic development,” he said.
Mr Binha said among their many successes in 2021 they had managed to organise the Young CEOs Business Forum (YCBF) 2021, Women’s Business Leadership Roundtable (WBLR 2021), a webinar on the currency issue, and the prestigious CEO Africa Annual Roundtable and Awards 2021.
He said they also participated in several critical Government meetings and conferences coordinated by various Government ministries.
Some of the forum’s lined-up events for 2022 include CEOs Business Breakfast, Business After Hours, Young CEOs Business Forum, Women Business Leadership Roundtable and CEOs Roundtable in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mauritius and South Africa among others.
Other key events include Zimbabwe Dubai Business Forum (hosted by ZimTrade) and Zimbabwe National Day Dubai at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Dubai, Digital Immersion and Investment Mission to Silicon Valley in California, USA.
