Crisis-hit Zimbabwe on Wednesday unveiled a fresh blueprint for the recovery of the Southern African country’s comatose economy.
The blueprint, National Economic Development Priority Programme (NEDPP) was formulated through the Zimbabwe National Security Council (ZNSC), an all-encompassing taskforce with members from both the government and the private sector.
Unveiling the blueprint in Harare, Economic Development Minister Rugare Gumbo said the key objectives of the NEDPP are reducing inflation, stabilisation of the currency, ensuring food security, increasing output and productivity, and generation of foreign exchange.
The government will under the NEDPP remove price distortions and ensure effective policy coordination and implementation, according to Gumbo.
“In order to achieve these objectives it is important that we restore confidence, rehabilitate and develop key infrastructure, reduce both domestic and external debt to sustainable levels and restore the positive image of the country,” the minister said.
Gumbo said that various taskforces have been put in place to spearhead the implementation of the programmes and strategies.
The taskforces will focus on agriculture coordination; input supply and food security; domestic and international resources mobilisation; human skills identification, deployment and retention; look-east promotion and implementation of programmes.
The ZNSC is chaired by President Robert Mugabe and supported by the National Economic Recovery Council, chaired by Vice-President Joyce Mujuru. Four Cabinet ministers — Kembo Mohadi, Herbert Murerwa, Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa — attended Wednesday’s meeting to unveil the new economic plan.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono and representatives from business were also in attendance.
Zimbabwe is going through an economic recession over the past six years that critics blame on repression and incorrect policies by Mugabe’s government in power for the past 26 years.
The veteran president denies the charge and his government has over the past decade produced several economic blueprints, all which have failed to improve the country’s fortunes. — ZimOnline