eBusiness Weekly
Business Writer
Zanu PF, the country’s ruling party, will anchor it’s 2018 electoral message on economic revival and political tolerance, the party’s Youth Secretary Pupurai Togarepi has said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has already set the tone for the party’s new thrust with the “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra which is a cry out to investors that the market is ready to foster an environment that favours economic and business growth.
Togarepi said the ruling ZANU-PF has already put itself in good stead to cruise to yet another electoral victory with its economic revival strategies as well as a culture of political tolerance as being championed by President Mnangagwa.
“The main focus is on the economy. We have done so much on political freedom and it’s now time to develop our economy,” said Togarepi.
The ascendance of President Mnangagwa following the departure of President Mugabe through military intervention came with massive changes especially on the investment landscape.
ZANU PF will focus on harmonizing economic policies to attract investments in the critical sectors of the economy.
Zimbabwe has been facing economic challenges for a while due to capital flight occasioned by a mired of reasons among them illegal economic sanctions imposed by the West.
The previous Government led by President Mugabe had started a re-engagement exercise with international financial institutions, but had been met with very little success as some previous ministers were rabidly against re-engagement.
However since the coming of the new dispensation, there has been an acceleration to re-engage international financial institutions with the thrust that only good relations with them will catapult economic recovery.
ZANU PF has also been emphasising the need to mend bridges with countries which were at one time hostile to Zimbabwe.
This has been mainly driven by the fact the new political administration has realised that Zimbabwe cannot continue to exist in isolation when its peers within the region are amassing massive growth with regards to foreign direct investment.
There are also efforts currently underway to reduce the country risk profile where most foreign investors have been evading the local investment environment. In as much as a lot is expected, there is still a lot to be done to address these issues going forward.
