Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has started rolling out translated versions and implementation progress reviews of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) expressed in the country’s 14 languages including Braille and audio.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube, is leading the process and has informed Provincial Ministers of State and Devolution to also gear up for the programme.
The translation of the NDS1 economic blue-print is critical in enhancing the attainment of an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Under the Second Republic, Zimbabwe is implementing a series of economic projects riding on policy guidelines starting with the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) (October 2018-December 2021), which was followed by the NDS1 (2021-2025) and will then be followed by NDS 2 (2026-2030).
Professor Ncube has said the translation of the NDS1 document will ensure maximum participation of all Zimbabweans.
“The economic reform agenda requires continuous stakeholder engagements to ensure no one and no place is left behind. To allow maximum participation, the ministry translated the NDS1 into 14 national languages including braille and audio versions,” he said in a circular sent to Matabeleland North Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Richard Moyo.
“The planned engagements will help inform stakeholders, get their participation and contribution, and ultimately build confidence.”
Professor Ncube said his ministry will be embarking on stakeholder engagement workshops over NDS1 within Matabeleland North Province to gather stakeholder reflections on the economic blueprints so as to continuously improve the policy environment.
“Given that the success in the implementation of economic reforms hinges on the involvement of all citizens, my ministry will be undertaking some stakeholder engagement meetings in your province at appropriate venues to be recommended by yourselves,” he said.
“The overarching objective of the stakeholder engagement is to enhance stakeholder participation and contribution, build confidence, and learn lessons from the development and implementation of TSP and NDS1.”
The minister assured stakeholders that the engagement meetings will be carried out with strict adherence to World Health Organisation Guidelines on Covid-19 as well as National Lockdown Regulations.
NDS1 is a five-year medium-term plan aimed at realising the country’s Vision 2030, while simultaneously addressing the global aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa Agenda 2063. It is premised on four critical guiding principles.
The first is a recognition that bold and transformative measures are required to underpin the drive towards the attainment of Vision 2030. Secondly, NDS1 seeks to attend to the development and capacitation of key national institutions, which will create the enabling environment critical for transformative economic growth.
Thirdly, the policy deliberately leverages Zimbabwe’s competitive advantages particularly with regards to the configuration of the country’s natural resource endowment, excellent ecological endowment and skills base.
Finally, for transformative and inclusive growth to bring benefits to all Zimbabweans in a fair, transparent and just manner, there must be a deepened commitment to the tenets of good corporate governance as enunciated in the Vision 2030 document.
— Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi
Online Reporter