Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve in Victoria Falls
THE Government is fully committed to ensuring Zimbabwe’s economic rebound is real, inclusive, and sustainable, with wide-ranging reforms and targeted investments paving a firm path for recovery and growth.
This was revealed by the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Monica Mutsvangwa, represented by the Chief Director in her Ministry Engineer Francis Gondo who officiated at the 2025 Annual Conference of the Chartered Governance and Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe (CGAIZ) here in Victoria Falls on Thursday.
The conference, being held under the theme “Inspire, Innovate, Sustain: Charting the Course for Zimbabwe’s Economic Rebound,” has brought together governance and accountancy professionals, regulators, and captains of industry to deliberate on the nation’s economic trajectory.
In her keynote address, Minister Mutsvangwa commended the Institute for its timely theme, noting that Zimbabwe stands at a defining moment where collective innovation and discipline are crucial.
“This theme is timely. Zimbabwe stands at a defining moment where our resilience is being tested, but also where our collective innovation and discipline can set us on a firm path of recovery and growth
“The Government, under the leadership of His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, is fully committed to ensuring that this rebound is real, inclusive, and sustainable,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
To achieve this, Minister Mutsvangwa outlined a multi-faceted approach centred on robust Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms, strategic national development plans, and a strong emphasis on empowering SMEs, women, and youth.
“We have rolled out wide-ranging Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms, strengthening accountability across ministries, departments, agencies, and local authorities
“These reforms are designed to plug leakages, enhance fiscal transparency, and ensure that every cent of public resources benefits the people of Zimbabwe,” she said.
She directly linked these efforts to the broader national vision, explaining that through Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the Government is modernising infrastructure, boosting agriculture, and enhancing social services.
She cited the transformative impact of programmes like Pfumvudza/Intwasa on household food security and devolution funds for empowering local communities to build critical infrastructure.
Crucially, Minister Mutsvangwa highlighted that this growth model is intentionally designed to be inclusive.
She pointed to specific Government initiatives aimed at empowering key demographics.
“Through the Women’s Microfinance Bank and other empowerment funds, we are unlocking opportunities for women and youth to participate meaningfully in the economy
“The SME Growth and Development Strategy recognises that small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation, employing over 60 percent of our people,” she said.
She called upon the accountancy profession to play a central role in this endeavour.
“We need your expertise as governance and accountancy professionals to provide the structures and accountability that will make them (SMEs)sustainable,” she said.
On the global stage, Minister Mutsvangwa revealed that Zimbabwe’s adoption of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (S1 and S2) has placed the nation among the first in the world to commit to global sustainability reporting.
She described this as a clear signal to the international community of Zimbabwe’s seriousness about transparency and investment-readiness.
Furthermore, she connected this to the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which demands high standards of governance and financial discipline from Zimbabwean enterprises seeking to access the continental market.
“This is a golden opportunity for Zimbabwean entrepreneurs, but it demands that our enterprises meet high standards of governance, transparency, and financial discipline. Here again, I see a central role for the members of CGAIZ,” she said.
She framed the national effort as a collective partnership between the Government and key institutions.
“Government will continue to play its part — through reforms, investments, and supportive policies — but we count on partners such as CGAIZ to stand with us in building a stronger economy and a more accountable society,” she said.
She urged the delegates to be bold in its deliberations, practical in its resolutions, and united in its commitment to inspire, innovate, and sustain, rallying the nation to collectively chart the course for a brighter economic future.
