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Peter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
India has lauded Zimbabwe for its new economic blueprint, saying the plan will propel the country to reclaim its status as the bread basket of the region and emerge as one of the strongest economies in Africa. Government launched the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) in October last year, an economic design that will drive the country’s economic agenda for the next five years.

In an interview on Friday, Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Jeitendra Triphati, said the plan was structured to turn around the country’s economy.

“The economic blueprint will bring Zimbabwe back on track on economic recovery and I am confident that with all the ingredients the country will reclaim its position as the breadbasket of Southern Africa,” he said.

Mr Triphati said Zimbabwe was blessed with vast arable land and Government should now prioritise agriculture to achieve its goals in turning around the economy and creating employment.

“What is immediately needed is food security. I understand that one fourth of Zimbabweans might suffer from hunger. Government has to simultaneously develop agriculture and ensure food security,” Mr Triphati said.

He said India has also adopted similar initiatives but emphasis was on agricultural development.

“Government should prioritise supporting irrigation schemes, storage facilities for farm produce and once self sufficiency is acquired the country will develop,” he said.

Mr Triphati said in the 1960s, India was faced with famine and it launched the Green Revolution, which doubled crop production and saw the Asian country attaining food security after turning down conditional help from the United States.

“The US government had pledged to help us, but that the help was conditional. There were conditions that we help them in international forums. We said sorry, we rather die of hunger than to take help on conditions of political support,” he said.

Mr Triphati said more priority was given to agriculture, research and analysis of various high yielding crops and Government subsidy to farmers on irrigation fertilisers and high yielding seed.

He said the Government had to prioritise employment creation, capacity building and the health sector.

“People should not depend solely on Government as Zimbabwe is not a developed country where people can depend on the State for everything and then the State will take care of them. So some programmes should be initiated for creating self sustainable employment,” he said.

The five-year plan is results-based and built on four strategic clusters that will enable Zimbabwe to achieve economic growth.

It is also anchored on indigenisation, empowerment and employment creation which will be largely propelled by the judicious exploitation of the country’s abundant human and natural resources.