adminThe high level economic forum in Victoria Falls will bring together local and international experts on economic growth promotion, infrastructure development, trade promotion and financial sector reforms.
It is being held under the theme “Unleashing Zimbabwe’s growth potential”.
The forum comes at a time when Finance Minister Tendai Biti has revised downwards this year’s growth forecasts in his Mid-term Fiscal Policy due to an underperforming economy.
He said the economy would now grow by 5,6 percent instead of the projected 9,4 percent.
While the mining sector is expected to grow this year by 16,7 percent, agriculture, the mainstay of the economy, is expected to contract by 5,8 percent.
The manufacturing sector is operating at 57 percent, according to a survey done by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.
Minister Biti also revised downwards expected revenues to $3,6 billion from the budgeted $4 billion.
Participants at the forum are expected to come with solutions to the country’s economic challenges.
“The forum will also focus on strategies for leveraging productive sectors such as mining, manufacturing and tourism. The forum, therefore, allows extensive and in-depth analysis of current challenges facing the country and will come up with appropriate recommendations which will also guide the 2013 national budget consultations and the designing of other future policy initiatives,” a Finance ministry statement said.
The forum was organised in conjunction with the National Economic Consultative Forum, the Zimbabwe Economic Policy Analysis and Research Unit, the World Bank and the Africa Capacity Building Foundation.
Online Reporter