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SADC bemoans Zim’s continued economic woes

SADC bemoans Zim’s continued economic woes
By Lambwe Kachali
Sunday November 11, 2007 [03:00]

THE economic situation in Zimbabwe will not improve unless political problems are addressed, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) executive secretary Dr Tomaz Salomao has said. In an interview on Friday, Dr Salomao said SADC was concerned about the continued economic problems in Zimbabwe. He said it was imperative that all SADC member states supported Zimbabwe to overcome its problems.

“As SADC, we are doing what we can, the maximum that we can do to assist and support Zimbabweans to overcome the difficulties they are facing. Not until the political fronts are tackled, it will be difficult for the situation in Zimbabwe to improve. But we need to help Zimbabwe resolve its political problems,” Dr Salomao said.
Asked if SADC had taken any pragmatic steps towards helping Zimbabwe rather than the political statements being issued all the time, Dr Salomao said it was important to first solve the cause of the problems Zimbabwe was facing.

“We need not look at the issues of bread only, we need to solve the root cause - why Zimbabwe is facing such economic difficulties. So if you do that, then I believe that better times will come for the Zimbabweans. But until that is done, there is nothing we can do to change the situation in Zimbabwe,” Dr Salomao said.

And SADC council of ministers chairperson and Zambia’s foreign affairs minister, Kabinga Pande, said the extraordinary meeting did not discuss problems affecting Zimbabwe.

Pande said the meeting dealt with specific issues that were not finalised during the council meeting in August this year.

“The issue of Zimbabwe is a non-issue and I have nothing to comment about. The council of ministers for foreign affairs and finance had specific issues on the agenda. Zimbabwe was not part of that. We discussed job evaluation of the SADC secretariat that has been underway at the instruction of the council of ministers’ meeting of August in Maseru, Lesotho in 2006,” Pande said.

“This aims at adjusting and realigning the structure of the SADC secretariat to the prioritised SADC programme of action based on its Regional Indicative Strategy Development Plan (RISDP) and the Strategic Plan of the Organ on Politics, Defence and security cooperation (SIPO).”

He said the council also considered the report of the task force it had mandated to review the operations of the SADC integration committee of ministers.

Pande said the council approved the convening of sectoral ministers on cluster for trade, industry, finance and investment (currently constituted as a ministerial task force on regional economic integration), comprising the ministers responsible for finance economic planning and investment, trade and industry.

“We also approved the cluster for infrastructure and services support for regional integration consisting of ministers responsible for energy, water, transport and public works, communications and ICT (Information Communication Technology) and tourism,” he said.

Pande said the council noted the report of the executive secretary on the job evaluation and in principle approved the establishment of a second position of the deputy executive secretary after the abolition of the position of the chief director.

“This means there shall be two deputy executive secretaries, one for the programmes and the other for support services as well as the creation of a position of the director for finance and administration services,” Pande said.

He also said the task force reviewed the progress towards the SADC Free Trade Area.

“The meeting also reviewed the Draft Roadmap to the Customs Union and noted with satisfaction that the region is indeed ready to launch the SADC Free Trade Area next year as per the set milestones,” Pande said.

He said the council further deliberated on the SADC budget outlook paper for the years from 2007 and 2008 to 2010 to 2011.

“This is the a medium-term strategic plan and budgeting framework that outlines the economic background within which the SADC programmes of action are planned, funded and implemented,” said Pande.

Labels: SADC, TOMAZ SALOMAO, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 2:30 PM