Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE has been commended for maintaining an open business environment, which is in line with regional ideals of creating a level playing field for the growth of the wider Southern African Development Community (Sadc) economy.
The crafting of supportive policies that ensure healthy competition and enhanced transparency is critical in attracting regional investments, a business consultant has said.
The Sadc regional investment policy already seeks to improve investment and business environment across member countries.
To buttress this thrust a programme of action, funded by European Union to the tune of 14 million pounds under the European devolution fund, has been initiated to assist transformative efforts.
The programme covers 16 Sadc countries and aims to realise sustainable and inclusive growth while supporting job creation through the transformation at the region into a Sadc investment zone through intra-regional investment
Speaking during a virtual dissemination seminar on the Sadc regional investment policy framework (IPF) yesterday, investment consultant Mr Sichoni Tokoleza said enhancing regional investments was crucial in promoting collective development, knowledge sharing and policy dialogue.
“Zimbabwe and the whole regional member state should have a healthy competition and allow foreign investors to access markets so as to have a level play ground to both local and foreign investors,” said Mr Tokoleza.
He told participants, who included industry executives under the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) and the Zimbabwe Investment Development Authority (ZIDA) that for Zimbabwe and the whole Sadc region to attract investors they should have non-discriminatory treatment of investors and have equal opportunities to both local and foreign investors.
“Zimbabwe adopted non-discriminatory treatment of investors through the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency.
“It also maintains an open business environment and has possible unbundling of infrastructure as this is witnessed at National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) and the telecommunication sector.”
ZIDA is an investment agency responsible for promoting and facilitation of both local and foreign investment in the country.
Mr Tokoleza said the objectives of the programme for the Zimbabwe project was to make the country responsive to the new international trends.
“The national action programme provides a legal and regulatory framework for investment for Zimbabwe within the regional community in order to access economies of scale,” he said.
“It also helps create Zimbabwe and Sadc as a more attractive investment destination from outside the region, enhance connectivity and improve competitiveness of the local and regional economy.”
-@SikhulekelaniM1
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