Maravi

SADC studies Zim's economic situation

SADC studies Zim's economic situation
By Chansa Kabwela in Harare, Zimbabwe
Sunday April 15, 2007 [04:00]

THE SADC executive secretary Dr Tomaz Salomao has began his mission to study Zimbabwe's economic situation as tasked by the regional body at the Dar-es-Salaam summit last month. Dr Salomao arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe on Wednesday night and he met President Robert Mugabe at Zimbabwe House on Thursday.

According to The Herald newspaper, Dr Salomao told journalists after the meeting with President Mugabe that it was important for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to support Zimbabwe.

Dr Salomao said the meetings were part of the consultations he was undertaking to come up with a programme to rescue Zimbabwe’s economy, which was bleeding under Western-imposed illegal sanctions.

“I am here to implement what was decided by the heads of state and to have some consultations. We are always hoping that the situation, although complex, we need to work hard. What’s good for Zimbabwe is good for the region. What’s bad for Zimbabwe is bad for the region. I think it’s time to talk less and do the work,” Dr Salomao said.

He also met with members of the National Economic Recovery Council (NERC) to get an insight into the National Economic Development Priority Programme, which the Zimbabwean government is currently implementing.

The NERC, headed by chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, is a multi-stakeholder organisation, which brings together economic ministries as well as the private sector.

On Friday, Dr Salomao met finance minister Samuel Mumbengegwi, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Dr Gideon Gono and the head of the European Union in Zimbabwe.

Dr Salomao, who was set to return to his base in Botswana yesterday, also toured SADC projects in Zimbabwe. He also visited the Southern African Power Pool and the SADC Research and Documentation Centre.
The SADC executive secretary was last month tasked by leaders in the bloc in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania to undertake a study and see how the region could help Zimbabwe overcome the economic sanctions.

Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete, who briefed the press shortly after the joint communiqué was released after the extraordinary summit, said SADC had for the first time taken steps to discuss the issue of Zimbabwe frankly and had been able to come up with the way forward.

President Kikwete said the summit had mandated the SADC executive secretary to undertake a study on Zimbabwe’s economic situation and propose measures on how the regional body could help.

“When you look at the macroeconomic numbers, GDP growth, inflation rates, exchange rates, they speak volumes about the health of Zimbabwe’s economy. It is a situation that should not be left to continue.

All of us in SADC agreed that we should try and help in our own small way,” President Kikwete said. “The summit mandated the executive secretary of SADC to conduct a study on Zimbabwe’s economic situation and come up with proposals and report to the SADC troika SADC has two troikas.

There is the troika of the organ on politics, which I am chairman and there is the troika of the SADC itself where the Prime Minister (Pakalitha) Mosisili is chairing and then there is President Mwanawasa and Botswana in that troika. In the troika of the organ on politics there is Tanzania, Angola and Namibia.

“The troika will look at the recommendations and decide what it is that we can possibly do.”

Asked over the time frame and whether the study on the economic situation would be tied to the political situation since they were inter-related, President Kikwete said the approach to addressing the problems had been separated despite the inter-relation.

Labels: SADC, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 4:11 AM