Source: Zim economy in intensive care: AAG – NewsDay Zimbabwe April 11, 2017
ZIMBABWE’S economy is in intensive care because it does not have a national vision to grow it, the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) has said.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
The country, currently saddled with over $10,8 billion debt, is suffering from a severe liquidity crisis coupled with high unemployment rate and massive company closures.
This is despite the fact that every five years, government is coming up with economic blueprints in a bid to stimulate economic growth.
Speaking at a business breakfast meeting organised by Global Shapers Bulawayo hub, AAG Matabeleland chapter president, Reginald Shoko, said the country does not have an economic vision.
“What we have as a problem economically is that our planning is always short term. Government programmes are always five years. When you want to turn or develop an economy you need a long term plan. Look at the AU (African Union), it has already got a plan for 2063, but we are talking about ZimAsset (economic blueprint) which expires next year,” Shoko said.
“We need to have a plan on how we move forward the economy. So we need to plan and discover what our corporative advantage is. If technology is what we can offer to an economy, let’s churn more of our graduates and entrepreneurs on technology.”
Shoko said the world was in dire need of organic products, but Zimbabwe was failing to take advantage of that despite her economy basing on agriculture.
He said Zimbabwean beef was in demand in Texas but the country did not have capacity to serve that market and South African beef has taken over.
“All of us here don’t have what we can call a Zimbabwean vision. What is our goal, economic, social and political? What rallies every Zimbabwean when he wakes up and looks at the flag and say: I’m Zimbabwean because of this? We don’t have that and without that we can’t go anywhere. We will always try to find excuses and blame this and that. We need a national vision.”
Shoko said Zimbabweans need to work together for a common purpose like they did when coming up with the new Constitution in 2013.
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