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Victoria Ruzvidzo Business Focus
Is it just another 44 lame days gone by, with a whole 211 days of this year still in our bag to make the difference in our lives that we desperately need. Did we need to hit the ground running on January 1 or we could afford to do things at the usual pace and still achieve the results that we expect? These are just rhetoric questions. We all know the answers to them.

Certainly the economy is still to get better. Liquidity is still tight, some companies are still to open after their annual shut down while others are threatening to close shop if the situation does not improve.

Cash for most, is still as elusive as before while nothing short of a miracle can put food on the table for many families.
Indeed the major highlight since the beginning of the year is the unravelling of high levels of corruption in mostly public institutions. These have helped reveal some of the reasons why the economy has not progressed at the expected pace.

For instance how do we expect Air Zimbabwe to operate viably when it is been bled profusely by some of its senior managers.
Now we hear that in the tourism industry there is a gross mismatch between the number of visitors and the receipts that have been recorded formally.

What has happened to the huge amounts of money that cannot be accounted for? The scenario is the same in almost all sectors of the economy.
On a daily basis stories of one form of corruption or the other are being unearthed by the brave media. Many have implored that the spotlight be extended to the private and NGO sectors where horrendous things are also said to be happening.

However, the question that beckons in this country is: where is all this headed? What lessons must be learnt and which solutions proffered to correct the anomalies not just in terms of corruption but all spots in the economy that are not performing well or in accordance with our goals and aspirations as a country.

What are we doing as corporates and individuals to rid the economy of the many challenges that confront it today, corruption being one of them?
According to the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) how much ground should we have covered by now or is it still early days to make an assessment?

But must we wait for a certain time period to check on progress or shouldn’t we do a daily audit in our respective spheres to ensure nothing goes off rail on our watch? We have agreed as a country that Zim Asset is the way to go which means all we do in the public or private sector, NGO activities and even at household level should be informed by the economic policy while feeding into it too.

The media, particularly within the Zimbabwe Newspapers stable, has gone all out to enunciate the policy so that all of us can do our best towards the sum total of the implementation matrix.

The results of high economic growth rates and a well- oiled economy after the five- year life of the economic programme should give us the impetus to do our part but that has certainly not been evident so far. The mood is largely negative, worsened by the corruption cases that have been brought to the fore in recent weeks.
However, although energy-draining, these should give the economy greater resolve to overcome constraints and achieve growth.

It would be prudent were the Government, n consultation with other stakeholders, were to come up with quarterly targets which would reviewed at the end of every quarter instead of waiting for the whole year to lapse.

Such three- monthly targets could help keep the finger on the pulse in terms of implementation and subsequently yield better results.
The Chinese Economy is expected to record its sharpest decline in economic growth to 7,4 percent this year but its January data has shamed critics.

The world’s second largest economy registered a six-month high in trade figures in January and is now expected to become the world’s largest importer, overtaking the United States of America.

Its exports in January grew by 10,6 percent, more than five times the initial forecast of two percent.
The value of imports also rose 10 percent on the back of iron ore, crude oil and copper imports, higher than the 3 percent forecast.

This goes to show that determination and focus on set goals can yield great results where the opposite is expected.
The story of the rise and rise of China as a world economic powerhouse will be told for centuries and centuries to come.

It is such stories that should motivate and inspire Zimbabwe to stop at nothing in its quest to achieve sustainable economic growth.
Therefore, selfishness, greed and other elements that retard growth should not have space in this economy.

Developments in China also have a large bearing on this country, given the increasing importance assigned to the Asian giant as a trade partner and investor.
Closer to home, growth prospects for Africa look bright, with a 4,7 percent growth despite the anticipated effects of the phasing out of quantitative easing by the United States that has pumped money into the global economy.

Southern Africa is expected to register a 4,2 percent up from 3,6 percent last year on the back of improved trade and foreign direct investment.
Zimbabwe should not be left behind.

In God I trust.

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