Rudo Saungweme

Speaking at the Annual General Meeting AGM today, outgoing President for CZI Sifelani Jabangwe said that Government had taken significant steps in reforming from past practices.

"Government has taken significant steps in changing from past practices. This is now putting more responsibility to the private sector to be more organised,” said Jabangwe.

Jabangwe said that Government had attended to some of the key distortions that had affected the supply of power and water.

"It is important that Government urgently moves to attend to some of the remaining key distortions which are affecting issues such as supply of power and water bit these need to be reviewed in such a way that the charges of these are reviewed whilst ensuring that competitiveness is not affected," said Jabangwe.

Jabangwe said that the erosion of consumers' purchasing power should also be attended to.

"There also has been a significant erosion of purchasing power for consumers and labour and this needs to be attended to in a sustainable way.

"Reviews of these aspects are best done under Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF bill)," he said.

Jabangwe said that the TNF bill now awaited Presidential ascent for it to become law.

"It is positive to note that Government expedited the passing of the TNF bill in both the lower and upper house and that the TNF bill now just awaits Presidential ascent for it to become law and hopefully it will be signed soon and the parties to the TNF can start to meet," said Jabangwe.

The TNF consists of Government, Private Sector and Labour Unions.

Addressing journalists on Workers' Day this month, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Sekai Nzenza said that the establishment of TNF would assist in addressing the plight of workers and in solving the economic crisis.