Online Reporter
GOVERNMENT on Thursday launched the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), a development plan expected to consolidate the social economic gains achieved under NDS1.
Speaking at the launch, President Mnangagwa said in keeping with his Government’s focus on professionalism and high work ethic, the implementation of NDS2 will be anchored in stakeholder participation, value for money and the timely delivery of impactful results.
He said the implementation of the Strategy will ensure Zimbabweans receive timely, people centred and high quality services, paving way for an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030.
“All public institutions are therefore challenged to develop and nurture Service Delivery Standards that suit our unique local realities while also dovetailing with global best practices,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said in line with the Zimbabwe is Open for Business Drive, NDS2 will continue to advance reforms aimed at enhancing competitiveness and reducing the cost as well as the complexity of doing business.
President Mnangagwa called on every Zimbabwean, local and abroad to rally behind NDS2 to accelerate progress and development envisioned in the document.
“I call upon all the people of our motherland, Zimbabwe, inclusive of development partners to put their shoulder to the wheel and rally behind this transformational National Development Strategy 2,” he said.
The launch of NDS2 is coming a few weeks after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commended Zimbabwe for maintaining fiscal discipline which has helped to contain inflation and stabilise the exchange rate.
The IMF said the Government has stopped printing money to finance its projects as was the case in the past hence it has made significant progress towards restoring macroeconomic stability.
The fund’s African Department Director, Mr Abebe Aemro Selassie, told journalists during the presentation of the new regional economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa at the IMF-World Bank Annual Spring Meetings in
Washington DC, United States, recently that the diminished recourse to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s financing window has been a key policy shift aiding progress towards restoring macroeconomic stability in an economy long plagued by hyperinflation and exchange rate volatility.
Mr Selassie said Zimbabwe’s policies had contributed to solid economic performance, even in the absence of concessional financing that other countries in the region are benefiting from.
“Zimbabwe has faced considerable challenges in recent years and one of the distinguishing factors has been its limited access to concessional financing, which has helped other countries cushion the impact of global shocks.
Against this difficult backdrop, it is encouraging to see Zimbabwe implementing sound policies,” he said.
Mr Selassie said Government’s recourse to central bank financing has declined significantly. He said it was therefore important to sustain this trend as reliance on central bank funding has in the past contributed to inflation and exchange rate volatility.
“We are encouraged by the Government’s recent actions and implore it to maintain this momentum,” said Mr Selassie. This is a very solid foundation for the implementation of NDS2 which we are confident will be another success story.
