Private sector to present PPP proposals to Cabinet

Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, which, in conjunction with the University of Zimbabwe, recently commissioned a study into Zimbabwe’s state of infrastructure and the role of PPPs in rehabilitation and improvement.
ZNCC Harare branch chairman Mr Davison Norupiri said the private sector would soon present its PPP policy brief directly to Cabinet, after encountering  snags while trying to engage the line ministries.
Meanwhile, presenting the outcome of the study in Harare yesterday, Dr Takawira Mumvuma from the UZ’s economics department said the PPP Unit could send a powerful signal to the private sector about Government’s seriousness about PPPs.
“There is a need to create a PPP Unit within Government, as one does not exist yet, with relevant commercial and legal skills, which is a key source of support for policymakers and project developers,” he said.
Early into the inclusive Government, Cabinet gave the task of developing a PPP policy and consequently the PPP Unit to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
The DPM’s office has therefore been facilitating the crafting of a PPP policy, as well as the institutional and regulatory framework for Zimbabwe. But this has been late in coming, with questions beginning to be raised about the seriousness of Government in respect of PPPs.
If adopted and passed into law, the PPP policy framework is expected to facilitate private sector participation in infrastructure development.
Case studies from countries in the region, such as South Africa, have also shown that the setting up of a PPP unit to administer a national PPP programme is a key success factor.
Parliamentary Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion chairman Mr Paddy Zhanda recently questioned Government’s seriousness in setting up PPPs if it is yet to promulgate the relevant policies.