ACP to give Zim €234m

Victoria Ruzvidzo in Brussels, Belgium
ZIMBABWE will receive at least €234 million in June next year under the 11th European Development Fund Programming and bridging facility running from 2014 to 2020, it emerged at the African, Caribbean and Pacific Council of Ministers meeting that began here yesterday.

The funding comes as a direct result of the lifting of some sanctions by the European Union on November 1. The country had not accessed the 9th and 10th EDF because it was constrained by the illegal sanctions.

The EU is the principal donor to the ACP.

Zimbabwe is represented at the meeting by its Belgian embassy’s Head of Chancery and Deputy Head of Mission, Nesbert Samasuwo.

The funds would be disbursed over seven years.

The EDF and bridging facility are disbursed under the ACP Group of States and funded by the EU.

The 11th EDF will see at least €30,5 billion extended to the ACP member countries between 2015 and 2020.

These will largely be directed towards health, education, agriculture and governance, depending on a country’s or a region’s priority list.

For Zimbabwe, the funds were previously channelled towards the regime change agenda, funding non- governmental organisations that were bent on undermining the legitimacy of the government and its leadership under President Robert Mugabe.

But ACP sources close to the developments yesterday said the stance had since changed following the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe and the successful holding of elections on July 31, 2013 that saw President Mugabe winning resoundingly against MDC-T’s Morgan Tsvangirai and other smaller parties.

“Now that sanctions have largely been removed, your country Zimbabwe will begin to enjoy these funds again. They will now be channelled towards more productive areas depending on the government’s priority,” said the source who cannot be named for professional reasons.

A statement released after a closed door meeting here yesterday on the finance facilities, said the EU would disburse funds according to country and regional priorities.

The 11th EDF Programming exercise’s outcome is the elaboration of the Indicative country and regional programming documents, which set out the priority sectors and areas for EU support and the related financial allocations available for the 2014-2020 period.

The National Indicative Programmes would establish country allocations and define the sectors of intervention. Regional and inter-regional co-operation would receive funding under the Regional Indicative Programmes.

Africa and the Pacific had already agreed on their regional programmes while the Caribbean were still negotiating. About €3,6 billion would be allocated to Intra-ACP and inter-regional programmes, in which Zimbabwe would also be a beneficiary.

The Intra-ACP envelop also contributes to the African Peace Initiative and the Joint Parliamentary Assembly currently chaired by Zimbabwe.

The Bridging Facility will be allocated €1,5 billion to ensure the availability of funds for cooperation with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and with overseas countries and territories.

Addressing delegates attending the meeting, the ACP Secretary General Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, said the 79-member strong ACP and Europe needed each other.

“We remain persuaded that there’s a future of the ACP. We also believe that Europe and the ACP will continue to need each other in the foreseeable future. Europe has technology and skills and the ACP has an abundance of natural resource endowments.

“There’s, therefore, a basis for interdependence and mutuality of interest,” he said.

More than 300 delegates are attending the Council of Ministers meeting here to map the future prospects of the ACP, financing arrangements and the election of a new Secretary General.