Maravi

(HERALD) Deal firmly with economic saboteurs

Deal firmly with economic saboteurs

AGRICULTURE is the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy, contributing significantly to the Gross Domestic Product and foreign exchange earnings. And given the pivotal role of this sector in our economy, any false start in the agricultural production chain can have serious repercussions on our agro-based economy. It is clearly for this reason that the need to place greater focus on supportive measures right at the start of the agricultural production chain cannot be over-emphasised.

Indeed, over the past seven farming seasons, it has been apparent that lack of adequate inputs, fertilizers in particular, has dented agricultural production and has, in the process, affected many of our industries, which are dependent on farming produce.

The saying "When Zimbabwe’s agriculture sneezes or coughs, the whole economy catches a cold," is a fact. This is exactly why the Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, has formulated comprehensive financial facilities to support supply industries to ensure that there are adequate inputs such as fertilizers, seed and chemicals.

However, the perennial challenge of input shortages can be traced to the critical shortage of foreign currency needed to import the inputs or procure essential raw materials for the manufacture of fertilizers and chemicals.

Cognisant of this challenge and determined to take it head-on, Government in April provided fertilizer companies with US$10 million needed to import raw materials for the manufacture of 25 000 tonnes of fertilizer.

But hardly three months after the money has been made available, the fertilizer companies are singing a different tune — they will not be able to produce the fertilizers and want more foreign currency.

What trash!

Our conclusion to this kind of behaviour is not far from the truth. Economic sabotage can be engineered in a variety of ways and what the fertilizer companies are committing is one such act of sabotage.

This is not acceptable. There are no excuses for not producing the fertilizer after the critical factor, foreign currency, has been made available.

We need not remind the fertilizer firms that producing fertilizer is a contractual obligation, especially after they have received the money.

The Government has fulfilled its side of the contract and we expect the fertilizer companies to do likewise without any flimsy excuse.

People bent on sabotaging the economy are merciless and the only place they deserve to be is in jail.

We fully concur with President Mugabe that if those at the helm of fertilizer companies fail to deliver by the given deadline, which is end of this month, they must be incarcerated.

Beneficiaries of the Basic Commodities Supply Side Intervention Facility (Bacossi) should be treated the same way.

There are many companies that received cheap money, which was meant to act as an emergency shock-absorber to prevent the possible collapse of companies that could not restock their retail outlets.

But instead of boosting production and restocking, they diverted the money to speculative activities.

Persons running such companies must be held accountable. In the eyes of many, their actions cannot be separated from economic sabotage.

The message should be sent to all that executives and their companies found committing acts tantamount to economic sabotage must be dealt with firmly.

Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, FERTILIZER

posted by MrK @ 2:33 AM