UN extends $393m to Zim

Business Reporter
The United Nations through the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework has mobilised and extended $393 million to Zimbabwe during the first three quarters of the year.

ZUNDAF is the UN’s strategic programme framework to support national development priorities as well as the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

United Nations Resident Co-ordinator Mr Bishow Parajuli yesterday said ZUNDAF has played a critical role in alleviating poverty and improving the food and nutrition cluster of Zimbabwe.

“The $393 million brings the total resources delivered through the current ZUNDAF to approximately $1,2 billion since 2012,” said Mr Parajuli.

He said official development assistance

has played a critical role in Zimbabwe’s recovery and will continue to do so in the coming

years.

As such, as the United Nations will work to support continued and improved partnerships so that these gains can be sustained while challenges will be addressed.

Mr Parajuli said UN will look forward to seeing sustained and enhanced ODA in Zimbabwe, increasing this ODA to perhaps 1,5 or even 2 billion annually.

The ZUNDAF has served as a robust platform to establish and maintain viable partnerships for development results. It has facilitated development action amidst a sometimes challenging environment.

Mr Parajuli said major national surveys and studies have been supported, including National Population Census; Poverty, Income and Consumption Expenditure Survey and the Multi-Sector Indicator Cluster Survey.

He said a National Food and Nutrition Policy was launched and implementation was under way.

“On this, I wish to highlight that all these development results were made possible with strong partnerships among all stakeholders and under national leadership.

“Likewise, this has been supported with very generous contributions of the donor community in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Parajuli.

In 2012, Zimbabwe received $1,1 billion, the highest ODA since independence. About 48 percent of the money was channelled through the United Nations.

He said the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation stand as a strong national development plan to co-ordinate and steer the actions of all stakeholders.

Mr Parajuli said recent efforts by Government to translate Zim-Asset into concrete action plans are noteworthy in that all development partners can contribute to clear priorities.

“We need to link both Zim-Asset and ZUNDAF to harmonise all our actions so that we move with speed in the implementation of Zim-Asset and show results.

“In this regard, I am pleased to note that among the reforms which have been set in motion through Zim-Asset and the 2015 Budget include strengthening the business and investment climate, including new rules on the indigenisation policy,” said Mr Parajuli.

He said while these are all critical steps that need to be taken, UN is also aware that they are operating in an environment where over 90 percent of the National Budget is earmarked to wage bills and recurrent costs.

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