Post-budget seminar set for tomorrow

Sikhulekelani Moyo, Zimpapers Business Hub

STAKEHOLDERS in the Matabeleland region are set to engage Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, who will headline the 2026 Post-Budget Breakfast Meeting in Bulawayo tomorrow.

Hosted by Zimpapers, the country’s largest integrated media group in collaboration with the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), the platform is expected to draw leading business and financial sector voices to unpack the implications of the 2026 National Budget.

The high-level engagement comes few weeks after Prof Ncube presented the 2026 National Budget, themed: “Enhancing Drivers of Economic Growth and Transformation Towards Vision 2030”.

The meeting is expected to further provide businesses, investors, and analysts with deeper insights into the policy measures proposed in the budget, amid expectations of accelerated growth, increased private-sector participation, and stronger macroeconomic stability.

Commenting on the upcoming event, Bulawayo-based economist and academic, Mr Stevenson Dlamini said the post-Budget meeting should be viewed through the lens of strategic signalling and economic necessity.

“The budget is a finalised fiscal instrument. Therefore, the Honourable Minister’s primary objective is to credibly convey fiscal orthodoxy to his most critical audience — international creditors like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is vital for long-term debt restructuring and finance,” he said.

Domestically, Mr Dlamini said the event serves to manage Bulawayo’s regional business sentiment.
“For the pragmatic business stakeholder, the real economic value is not the speech itself, but the opportunity for high-level networking and sentiment analysis in the corridors, securing the access and information required to navigate the current constrained economic environment,” he said.

The Special Post-Budget Breakfast Meeting is expected to draw business leaders, economists, policymakers and investors seeking clarity on the 2026 economic outlook.

The dialogue will be crucial in gauging the feasibility of proposed measures and in identifying areas where public-private collaboration can strengthen the implementation of fiscal reforms.

The 2026 budget was presented at a time when there are ongoing efforts to stabilise inflation, sustain industrial recovery, and accelerate progress towards Vision 2030.

Tomorrow’s meeting will provide a major platform for stakeholders to interrogate the Budget’s assumptions and map out strategic responses for the year ahead.

Last week, a diverse group of over 250 business leaders gathered for a similar event in Harare.

Speaking during the event, Prof Ncube said the 2026 National Budget will be firmly anchored on financing the key drivers of economic growth identified under the recently launched National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).

Running from 2026 to 2030, NDS2 is the country’s economic blueprint for the next five years, setting Zimbabwe on a decisive path as it seeks to attain upper-middle-income status.

The blueprint builds on the gains of NDS1, which wraps up this year, and sharpens the Government’s focus on transformative, broad-based development.

Prof Ncube said central to NDS2 are 10 strategic pillars that are designed to accelerate national progress.

Among the pillars are improved quality of life, inclusive growth, modern and resilient infrastructure, adequate housing, and strengthened food security.

The minister said these pillars will guide the allocation of resources in the 2026 Budget, with ministries strategically aligned to each priority area to ensure coherent and efficient implementation.

“What you will find in the NDS 2 document are the 10 pillars that are the drivers of economic growth and transformation.

“Ministries are mapped to each pillar, and we have structured tax incentives to support and stimulate activity within these areas,” he said.

Prof Ncube said the 2026 Budget will not only fund annual programmes, but will also act as a catalyst for sustained economic expansion, investment attraction, and improved livelihoods in line with Vision 2030.