Preparations for Zim-Asset II begin

Business Editor
Government is currently consulting stakeholders on the development of a successor Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) programme covering just two years. The consultative meetings are being held through the Ministry of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion. Zim-Asset, the country’s economic blueprint was launched in October 2013 and is due to run until October next year.

“The first phase of Zim-Asset is coming to an end in 2018. It is essential that Government develops a successor Zim-Asset II programme covering the period 2019 to 2020,” said Macro Economic permanent secretary Judith Kateera in a letter to stakeholders. The deliberations at the workshop which started on Monday and will run through today will focus on achievements and challenges faced during the implementation period 2013 to date.

The meetings would also seek to identify the unfinished business in terms of projects, outline current policies laws and by-laws that are hindering and affecting growth and capacity utilisation across all sectors. The meetings are also supposed to come up with proposed strategies to address the current challenges and to indicate specific policy measures that can stimulate growth and increase capacity utilisation. Various sectors are also expected to outline the 2019 /2020 prioritised programmes as well as identify quick win opportunities. The Zim-Asset economic blueprint was crafted to achieve sustainable economic development and social equity anchored on the judicious exploitation of the country’s vast human and natural resources.

Government sources told The Herald Business that considerations were also being looked into with a view of coming up with a fifth pillar, which will focus on the macro-economic framework, in addition to the existing four strategic clusters are: food security and nutrition; social services and poverty eradication; infrastructure and utilities as well as value addition and beneficiation.

“Zim-Asset has been a success but five years were too short to meet some of the targets,” a source said.