Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Zanu PF, MDC-T clash over economy

Zanu PF, MDC-T clash over economy
14/09/2012 00:00:00
by Moses Chibaya

EMPOWERMENT Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has dismissed the MDC-T’s new economic blue-print as a half-baked political gimmick aimed at hoodwinking Zimbabweans ahead of next year’s elections.

The MDC-T is planning the launch of its JUICE (Jobs, Upliftment, Investment, Capital and Ecology) blueprint which the party insists will help take the country’s economy out of the woods.

But Kasukuwere said: “The MDC-T is fooling the people of Zimbabwe; you cannot come up with a policy which is half baked and planned for you by foreigners to compromise the aspirations of our people.

“We have a government policy (Indigenisation and economic empowerment); it came as a result of years of discussions. But now they tell us that they have their JUICE policy.

“What they are simply saying is that they continue to oppose the empowerment of our people. They continue to send a message that they do not believe in this policy.”

However, MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora retorted: “Firstly, Kasukuwere is intellectually unsuited to evaluate an economic document.

[I guess we're just not smart enough to see how your neoliberal bs could work, right? - MrK]

“The MDC thrust on its economic blue print is to put an emphasis on the creation of jobs because the unemployment rate is more than 80 per cent.

“We need policies that lead to the opening of mines, revival of industry as well as bring in international businesses; that way we will create employment.

[Save it for the campaign trail. - MrK]

Still, Kasukuwere countered: “The MDC will never come up with policies that make sense because we know they are not genuine. How will they convince their whites that we want to empower our people?

“We will not change (our policies) we already have instruments that carter for foreigners who want to come and invest in Zimbabwe - we are talking about entrepreneurs who create the jobs.”

Zimbabwe’s economy has enjoyed steady, if marginal, growth since the formation of the coalition government in 2009 and the adoption of foreign currencies in place of a virtually worthless local unit.

But the recovery has not come with jobs and unemployment remains high with most companies still operating at levels well below capacity due to the lack of capital.

Again, the growth registered over the last few years has begun to falter with Finance Minister Tendai Biti recently admitting that projections for the year would not be met on the back of poor revenue inflows and the lack of international budgetary support.

Top economic analyst John Robertson said Zimbabwe needs to concentrate on ensuring the operating environment was encouraging of new investment.

[Please, not that neoliberal rhodesian fossile again. - MrK]

“To fix the deeply entrenched problems, we have to deal with the basic issues, so the required recovery plans should, first, concentrate on the policy changes needed to place the Rule of Law onto a sound footing and to repeal all laws and regulations that discourage investors,” he said.

[FDI (Anglo-American De Beers) at all cost. - MrK]

“The important point here is that job creation depends upon investment. Investors can go anywhere in the world, so we have to make them want to stay here, or come here.

“We therefore need to get rid of any laws or attitudes that interfere with the acquisition, ownership and marketability of property.

[By foreign whites, of course. - MrK]

In this regard, all forms of property count, whether these are areas of land, mining claims, financial instruments or company shares,” he said.

Robertson added: “If Zimbabwe had forward-looking policies that showed a commitment to restore an attractive investment climate, its officials would have no difficulty inviting experts to make estimates of the time and funding that would be needed to restore each utility and service.”

[Gee Tony, would those experts be from... the World Bank, perhaps? - MrK]

Labels: DOUGLAS MWONZORA, MDC, NEOLIBERALISM, SAVIOUR KASUKUWERE

posted by MrK @ 3:21 AM