Maravi

Mukata urges more work to render economic gains tangible
By Gift Chanda
Wed 15 May 2013, 14:00 CAT

FINANCE deputy minister Keith Mukata says more work is required by everyone to translate positive economic results into tangible benefits for majority people in Africa.

Speaking at the African Community of Practice (AfCoP) regional workshop that opened in Lusaka yesterday, Mukata said the African continent had in the past few years recorded favourable economic results such as strong economic growth rates of more than five per cent but the challenge that had remained was to match the strong growth rate to poverty reduction.

He said "a lot of work is required to translate these positive results into tangible benefits in the lives of the majority of the people on the continent".

Mukata said regional economic integration, one of the strategies adopted by African countries to ensure positive macro-economic gains translate into tangible impact on ordinary people, should be strengthened.

The workshop is being held under the auspices of COMESA and the African Development Bank (AfDB) aimed at creating capacity for member nations to ensure more results-oriented and focused approach towards development.

COMESA deputy secretary general Dr Kipyego Cheluget observed earlier that focusing on results would enable the regional economic bloc to have a strategic perspective of whether initiatives being implemented were heading towards intended impacts.

And AfDB resident representative in Zambia Dr Freddie Kwesiga said the focusing on results initiative approach would respond to the challenges Africa was facing.

Meanwhile, AfCoP co-chairperson Ledule Bosh said the focusing on results initiative approach towards development in Africa would provide a framework for accelerating regional integration.

Labels: AFCOP, KEITH MUKATA, NEOLIBERALISM

posted by MrK @ 2:50 PM