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Dr Kateera

Mash West Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has completed provincial consultative and sensitisation workshops on the formulation of Zim-Asset 2 and now awaits to submit a final report to President Mugabe. The Ministry of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion has been given 100 days to do the countrywide consultations. Mashonaland West was the last province to be consulted after the first consultations were held in Midlands on October 12.

In a speech read on her behalf yesterday by principal director (Economic Planning and Modelling) in the Ministry of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Mr Taguma Mahonde at Chinhoyi Hotel, permanent secretary Dr Judith Kateera said the first phase of Zim-Asset 1 was ending in 2018 and Government had been going around the country engaging stakeholders so that there would be a smooth transition to a new economic blueprint.

“We will still do a concluding report on the first Zim-Asset at the end of 2018, but as part of good planning, we have now started taking the second part of it in small phases,” said Dr Kateera.

President Mugabe, she said, had instructed them to do consultations on policy reviews since some existing laws were impacting negatively on investment. Dr Kateera said it had been noted that the investment environment was frustrating potential investors.

“Unclear regulations and legislation, cumbersome administrative procedures, uncoordinated approach in the administration of requisite fees by Government agencies, outdated legislations, as well as insecure property rights for investors have been scaring away investors and, therefore, the directive by President Mugabe for us to work on harmonising them,” she said.

The first Zim-Asset is spearheading the turnaround and development of the economy. It is aligned to ZANU-PF’s 2013 winning election manifesto and identifies clusters, which include food security and nutrition, social services and poverty reduction, infrastructure and utilities, and value addition and beneficiation.