via Economy woe to get worse in 2015, IMF – New Zimbabwe 09/03/2015
ZIMBABWE’S economy is expected to weaken further this year after growing by 3.1 percent in 2014, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday, while the country’s finance minister said Harare expects to clear its arrears to the fund in the next year.
The government forecasts growth this year of 3.2 percent, but analysts say weak commodity prices, patchy rainfall this season and company closures as a result of cheap imports and high interest rates will curtail the economy’s growth.
“Growth has slowed down and we expect it to weaken further in 2015,” said Domenico Fanizza, head of an IMF review team.
He told journalists that Zimbabwe had met all its targets under the programme despite difficult economic conditions.
The country’s foreign debt is $9 billion. Harare makes token monthly payments of $150,000 to clear $125 million in IMF arrears.
The fund says the government can only gain access to new finance if it clears the arrears and presents a credible plan to clear outstanding payments to foreign creditors.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said within the next year, Zimbabwe should be looking at paying off the arrears.
“Our intention is that by this time next year, we should be entering the new phase of clearing our arrears,” said Chinamasa at the same press conference with Fanizza.
Fanizza said Zimbabwe was looking at ways to cut a wage bill that takes 82 percent of total government revenues and modify investment laws to attract foreign investors.
Foreign investors often point to the government’s policy of forcing foreign-owned firms to sell a majority of shares to locals as an impediment to investment.
Chinamasa said the government now wanted to determine how much it owes to whites evicted from their farms in the last 15 years to bring to an end an issue that has divided the country along racial and political lines.
President Robert Mugabe has previously said former colonial power Britain was responsible for paying the white farmers.
But Chinamasa said even though Harare did not have the money, it was important to acknowledge what it owed to the farmers.
COMMENTS
Chinamasa said the government now wanted to determine how much it owes to whites evicted from their farms in the last 15 years.
Hello Pat. Let’s say you do “determine” how much to pay the ex-white farmers …… who will pay them? Will it be the Tax Payer? If so, will you be asking tax paying workers (the majority of whom are now working in towns) to pay ? Because then the very people who used to depend on agri-business, will (in effect) be paying for farms now occupied by chefs who haven’t paid a cent. (Well, at least the chefs are paying their hundred thousand dollar ZESA bills, of course.)
I dunno? It sounds a bit muddled. Next you will be saying the tax payer has to also pay for all the machinery and diesel and inputs and irrigation pipes, as well. Imagine asking the tax payer to pay for all that on top?
Chinamasa again no planning. You have the worlds best farmers right here but no idea whatsover to deal with a problem you created.
As much as you hate them take advice for a change.
Simply agree to some arrangement with CFU and move forward. The whites also love their country and deserve to move along with it. Mugabes problem is the people he has killed has clouded his mind to a point of no return.
He trust no one not even Grace .
I agree with Grabmore – but the logical and rational solution is for those people now squatting on farms not legally theirs should pay the legal owners. These people “acquired” (stole) going and profitable concerns so should be able to pay for them.
Nyoni is also right in that Mugabe’s mind is so clouded by senility and demented racism that he should be ignored. Indeed Mugabe is a Weapon of Mass Destruction as far as Zimbabwe is concerned