Netherlands keen to invest locally

Tichaona Zindoga Herald Reporter
Ambassadors for the Netherlands and France yesterday paid a courtesy call on Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Ambassador Gera Sneller of the Kingdom of Netherlands said after meeting Minister Chinamasa that her country was not fretting over the indigenisation and economic empowerment policy, saying different countries had different models of ensuring that locals benefited from the natural wealth of their countries.

“What is most important is that the rules are clear, the policy is transparently applied in a consistent manner because that way investors know what they have to do and they can make decisions on what investments they have to make,” she said.
Ambassador Sneller said she had discussed possibilities of private Dutch investments in the country.

“We spoke of the possibility of our private sector coming to work in Zimbabwe and what the issues are and the links between our two countries,” she said, adding that they also spoke about reinforcing economic relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Sneller indicated that there were different companies that were involved in Zimbabwe, while the country also benefited from a Dutch finance co-operation facility for developing countries.

French Ambassador Laurent Delahousse said he discussed general economic issues with Zimbabwe and “our common willingness to develop and intensify our trade and economic links”. He described the meeting, his first with the Minister, as a “new beginning for a new relationship”.