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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE’s exports reached US$3,3 billion in the first six months of this year, a dramatic 31 percent increase from the US$2,52 billion recorded during the same period last year, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador James Manzou, said yesterday.
Briefing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on the ministry’s 2023 budget plans and an overview of the 2022 budget performance, Ambassador Manzou said exports to countries like the United Arab Emirates and Belgium had increased even faster from figures recorded last year.
Exports to UAE almost doubled from US$599 to US$1,02 billion while those to Belgium had more than doubled to US$40,2 million from US$18,5 million.
“Exports to China are increasing, showing that companies are now exporting directly to China, and these increased from US$3 million in 2021 to US$380 million in 2022. During the year, Jordan emerged as a new export destination with US$11,4 million worth of goods exported,” he said.
Ambassador Manzou said the ministry had organised 31 trade missions to boost trade with other countries and continues to push exports.
All showed, he said, that the re-engagement efforts were bearing fruit with Zimbabwe re-integrating into the community of nations.
“I can say with confidence that Zimbabwe has come out of isolation. Zimbabwe is now an active and responsible member of the international community,” Ambassador Manzou said.
In August, Zimbabwe was elected as the Vice President of the UN General Assembly and was also playing a leading role in sub-committees while the country was also a member of the AU’s Peace and Security Council.
“On top of that we had major developments with Zimbabwe now a member of the International Civil Aviation Authority with over 148 countries voting in favour of Zimbabwe while Chief Fortune Charumbira is now the president of the Pan African Parliament ably supported by the continent and the (Sadc) region while recently we had Mr Cosmas Zavazava contesting in a hotly contested election where we had five contestants but he came out tops to be the executive director of the International Development Bureau of the International Telecommunications Union,” Ambassador Manzou said.
He said his ministry would continue with its re-engagement drive and calling for the complete removal of sanctions.
Ambassador Manzou said his ministry had bid $110,3 billion in the 2023 budget that is expected to be tabled before Parliament in November and that was almost twice the budget ceiling of $56,68 billion it was allocated to work with by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
He said the ceiling was inadequate to fund needed projects and programmes in 2023.
“All budget items were underfunded and it is my ministry’s appeal to this committee to consider our proposal,” Ambassador Manzou said.
He expressed gratitude to the Finance Ministry for timeously releasing funds budgeted for this year and for the major effort made to slash the foreign currency arrears of the ministry, reducing backlogs in salary payments of foreign staff and allowing renovations to start for several missions.
The Finance Ministry had released $11,985 billion of the $14,877 billion allocated for this year by September 30 while US$46,8 million had been disbursed in foreign currency during the same nine months.
“This has gone long way in reducing arrears which stood at US$22 million as at September 30, 2021 to US$14,2 million as at September 30, 2022,.
Ambassador Manzou said the increase in releases in foreign currency had reduced salary arrears for diplomats while renovations for 10 embassies had also begun.
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