Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development will host the fourth Structured Dialogue Platform meeting on 11 May and will later hold a high level Debt Resolution Forum on the 15th of May 2023.
In a statement, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the Government of Zimbabwe in December 2022 established a structured dialogue platform with all creditors and development partners.
"The Government of Zimbabwe in December 2022 established a structural dialogue platform with all creditors and development partners, in order to institutionalize dialogue on economic and governance reforms to underpin the arrears clearance and debt resolution process," said the Minister.
The process is being championed by the President of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Dr A. Adesina and the former President of the Republic of Mozambique, His Excellency Joachim A. Chisaano, who is the high level facilitator.
In addition, Professor Mthuli said the three meetings held established three Sector Working Groups (SWGs) in reforms, compensation and resolution of Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (BIPPAs).
“Following the Structured Dialogue Platform Meetings held on 1 December 2022, 23 February 2023 and 30 March 2023, three Sector Working Groups (SWGs) were established on economic reforms, governance reforms and land tenure reforms, compensation of former owners and the resolution of (BIPPAs). The three SWGs are finalizing on reform matrices,” said Minister Mthuli.
Zimbabwe owes the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank.
International relations expert, Joshua Muswere noted the importance of dialogue in resolving differences and applauded the engagement and re-engagement policy.
“The longstanding impasse between Zimbabwe, its creditors and the international community can be resolved through dialogue, as we have witnessed President Mnangagwa’s foreign policy of engagement and re-engagement breaking a 22 year old impasse,” said Muswere.
Zimbabwe seeks to achieve an upper middle-income economy by 2030 and the Government is implementing programmes under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), a five year blueprint that charts policies focused on economic transformation and growth.
