(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC-T postpones economic blueprint launch

MDC-T postpones economic blueprint launch
This article was written by Our reporter on 11 September, at 03 : 13 AM

MDC-T yesterday indefinitely postponed the launch of its economic blueprint meant to rival Zanu-PF’s indigenisation and economic empowerment initiatives. Party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was expected to officiate at the ceremony.

MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said the programme dubbed “Jobs, Upliftment, Investment, Capital and Environment” or JUICE would now be unveiled in a fortnight.

“We postponed the event because we realised that we had just had another high profile event over the weekend so we decided to have it at a later date probably in the next two weeks.

“We are also busy preparing for the wedding (Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s union with Elizabeth Macheka) that will be held over the weekend,” he said.

Analysts have since dismissed the economic blueprint saying it relied heavily on western foreign investors most of whom have imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Among other measures, JUICE proposed the following:

“Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of the sort that ensures job creation through genuine capital investment (not fly-by-night speculation or cronyism as has often been the case);

“… increase (in) both FDI and local reinvestment so as to ensure capital formation, a well-functioning financial system with growing savings and credit, and infrastructure development, consistent with ecological restoration and conservation;

“… a friendly business environment conducive to domestic reinvestment, FDI and capital formation.”

Another MDC-T programme called the Jobs, Upliftment, Investment and Participation suffered a still birth with insiders saying the blueprint was hurriedly put together and would be difficult to implement outside Government structures.

This is the third document produced by the party. Tendai Biti, the MDC-T secretary general also came up with another document dubbed RESTART, which was abandoned when they got into power with Zanu-PF in 2008.