(TALKZIMBABWE) Biti feels the "disengagement" pinch
Biti feels the "disengagement" pinchCOMMENT by our reporter using various sources
Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:21:00 +0000
THE Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti was the first to recommend "re-engagement" with Zanu PF when he realised that his ministry could not function without Cabinet, sources told this paper.
Biti, who is expected to present a budget soon could not prepare adequately without consulting President Mugabe. Budget issues are discussed by the Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, which is convened and chaired by the President.
The deadline for the budget was fast approaching, and President Mugabe had indicated that he would appoint an acting Minister of Finance, most probably from Professor Arthur Mutambara’s party, to take the matter forward.
Biti was said to have told the MDC-T Steering Committee that the boycott was "doing more harm than good to the reputation of the party and would soon undermine my position."
The minister recently lost a battle with Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono over the allocation of US$400 million Special Drawing Rights availed to Zimbabwe through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a cushion against the global financial crisis.
Biti wanted the SDR to be used to spruce up Zimbabwe's foreign currency reserves; but Governor Gono wanted the money allocated to industry, agriculture and public utilities. Cabinet agreed that Governor Gono's recommendations were the most logical.
The finance minister was said to be livid over the decision made by Cabinet; but could not do anything as all government decisions are made by Cabinet, not a single minister.
Biti also chairs the Cabinet Committee on Inputs. According to sources in Harare, Biti called the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, for a meeting and made several calls to the President to discuss these issues, but on both occasions, was told that the framework for re-engagement was not in place.
Biti is said to have panicked that he was left powerless by the "disengagement" and hence had to find a way back in to influence Government policy.
The MDC-T party is said to have gone to Maputo for the Sadc Troika summit as a formality. The party had already decided to re-engage with Zanu PF before the summit.
Labels: NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT, TENDAI BITI
posted by MrK @ 8:59 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home