Tendai Matunhu

President Emmerson Mnangagwa today briefly returned from his annual leave to meet with representatives of the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC), which sought to get direction on Government.

Addressing PAC representatives, President Mnangagwa said that 2020 was the year of productivity and growth on the back of reforms and liberalization measures implemented in 2019. He said Government would seek to pay close attention on sector-specific policies both for inner consistency, cross-sectoral harmony and linkage to the overall quest for productivity and growth.

President Mnangagwa went on to say that special emphasis will be placed on enabling the energy sector in the double sense of power and fuel, to ensure this critical enabler does not hamper productivity and growth.

The President said additional focus would be placed on infrastructural projects. He urged PAC members to use their influence and stature to enthuse private sector participation in infrastructural programmes.

He highlighted that there was an appreciation of there being little that was covered relating to international trade in the triple sense of economic diplomacy, FDI attraction, technology sourcing and overseas markets development for greater exports. He added that 2020 would see a deliberate emphasis in these areas, including looking at ways of mobilizing the Zimbabwean Diaspora in this drive for greater productivity and exports.

President Mnangagwa went on to say that the Financial Sector would work extra hard to ensure currency stability and low inflation for growth.  He further said that industry and commerce would look at a medium-to-long term industrial strategy in keeping with greater import substitution and the manufacturing of exportables.

He went on to say, “Noteworthy is the fact that the World Bank projects Zimbabwe’s economy to grow by 2.7% in 2020, up from a negative growth of -6.5% last year because of drought. This sanguine projection is based on firming mineral prices, principally gold and platinum.”

PAC is set to hold its inaugural meeting for 2020 early February. The President resumes his vacation today and he will briefly break his rest again on Monday to meet the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister who is expected in the country tomorrow, for a three-day visit.

The advisory council comprises experts and leaders drawn from diverse sectors like business, health and social protection, agriculture, governance and human rights, faith-based organisations, tourism, education, minorities, ICT, civic society, communication and media management.