EU crucial development partner: Chinamasa

via EU crucial development partner: Chinamasa | The Zimbabwean 29.05.14 by Sofia Mapuranga

The European Union is ready to co-operate with the government of Zimbabwe as development partners and ensure that the country retains its status as the hub of Africa, says the European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe, Aldo Dell’Ariccia.

Speaking at a consultative workshop on the formulation of the National Indicative Programme (NIP) of the European Union Development Assistance to Zimbabwe for 2014- 2020 in Harare today, Dell’Ariccia expressed optimism that Zimbabwe had the potential to become the bread basket of Africa.

“There are real possibilities that Zimbabwe can become the hub of the region. The conditions are there, the country has vast resources at its disposal and the human capital is available,” he said.

Ambassador Dell’Ariccia urged government, the private sector and civil society organisations to work together and place the country back on the international map.

“The EU envisages a scenario where Zimbabwe will be viewed not as a country in need of aid but a development partner,” he said, adding that the regional block was ready to assist the government in implementing constitutional provisions that ensured good governance and help improve the lives of Zimbabweans.

“The EU remains committed to re engaging with Zimbabwe. The draft NIP, jointly prepared by the government of Zimbabwe and the EU represent a key step in the process of finalising the document that we hope will help improve the lives of ordinary citizens,” said Dell’Ariccia.

He said the process of joint programming between the Zimbabwean government and the EU for purposes of developing new assistance programmes was made possible by the decision of the European Union Council on July 23 2012, to suspend measures applied on Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.

Under this agreement, the EU and its member states were not allowed to give aid through government structures in Zimbabwe based on concerns about the respect for democratic principles and the rule of law.

This meant that development aid was mostly channeled through civil society organisations, a development which is yet to be reviewed in November 2014 and will possibly be lifted.

Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa said government is committed to normalizing relations with the West.

“As government, we are fully cognisant that the EU remains a crucial development partner to Zimbabwe and it has contributed immensely towards poverty eradication and economic transformation,” he said.

“Zimbabwe remains committed to full re- engagement with the EU. It is our fervent hope that our strengthened co-operation with the regional block will graduate to developmental support in order to modernise our infrastructure through rehabilitation of existing and the construction of new infrastructure projects for a meaningful economic transformation.”

Chinamasa said as part of preparations for the lifting of Article 19 of the Cotonour Agreement, treasury was in the process of crafting an Aid Coordination Architecture, which would be tabled before the EU in the near future.

Under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), Zimbabwe is set to benefit 234 million euro under the auspices of the NIP.

According to the draft NIP, 88 million euro will go towards health, 45 million euro towards governance and institution building, 88 million euro: agriculture based economic development, 6 million euro: civil society organisations, 3 million euro: National Authorising Office and 4 million euro towards Technical Cooperation Facility.

The NIP forms the second and final phase of the establishment of a joint cooperation strategy between government and the EU to develop in the framework of the 11th European Development Fund.

The EDF is the main instrument for EU aid for developing cooperation with the ACP Group Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and funding is provided by voluntary donations by EU member states.