Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
THE country’s economic blue print, the National Development Strategy 1, has registered significant success in uplifting the standard of living of people with Gross Domestic Product targets having been surpassed while macro-economic stability has been attained despite the negative impact of Covid-19 and global geo-political issues.
The strategy, now in its third year, has seen several infrastructural projects that include road rehabilitation, dam construction and agricultural enhanced support programmes being implemented and most of them have transformed the lives of communities.
This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa while delivering a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare yesterday.
She said Cabinet had considered and adopted the Concept Note on the National Development Strategy 1: (2021-2025) Mid-Term Review, as presented by Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube.
“Citizens will be aware that the NDS1 is in its third year of implementation, with its mid-term falling on June 30, 2023. There has been significant progress in the implementation of the strategy as evidenced by a GDP growth of 8.5 percent registered in 2021, against a target of 5 percent.
“Several key projects have also been implemented, notwithstanding the negative impacts of endogenous and exogenous factors including Covid-19, Eastern Europe tensions, and inflation and exchange rate instability,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“A documentary showcasing the impact of the NDS1 in uplifting the standard of living of people will be put together for the benefit of all stakeholders. Regular monitoring and evaluation reports, including a Mid-Term Review and a Terminal Evaluation Report, are necessary to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the NDS1.”
She said the Mid-Term Review will include two major components, namely, performance of the NDS1 planned outcomes review, which will focus on assessing the extent to which the planned outcomes of the strategy have been realised across the 14 Thematic Working Groups during the past two years of implementation.
There will also be a Process Review which will focus on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Co-ordinating Structures of NDS1.
“A participatory and consultative approach will be adopted in carrying out the review in the 14 Thematic Working Groups of the NDS1 under four main stages, namely, data gathering using Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM), compliant templates, data analysis using appropriate tools to rate NDS1 Outcomes, performance in order to establish whether the Outcomes are on Track at Mid Term, Partially On Track at Mid Term, or Off Track at Mid Term.
Another aspect will be an analysis involving assessment of financing and co-ordination structures and capacities as drivers of sustainability at Mid Term and strategic positioning and recommendations.
“The nation is advised that the approval of the Concept Note by Cabinet marks the launch of the process of undertaking the NDS1 Mid-Term Review. The public is urged to participate in the process,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
The NDS1 is a five-year economic blue-print initiated by the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa that seeks to drive transformation of the country towards the attainment of a national vision of a prosperous upper middle-income economy by 2030.
It succeeded the two-year Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) implemented from October 2018 to December 2020 to set the economy on a recovery trajectory after years of stagnation.
The TSP acknowledged policy reform initiatives of the Second Republic that came into being in November 2017 to stimulate domestic production, increase exports, rebuild and transform the economy.
Hence the objectives of NDS1 can only be sustained in a stable macro-economic environment that the Government in 2022 managed to achieve through tight monetary and fiscal policies and containment of inflationary pressures.
Last year, Zimbabwe ended the year with a month-on-month inflation rate of 2,4 percent in line with the authorities’ prognosis of below 3 percent at the end of 2022.
Some of the projects implemented under NDS1 range from community schemes with a huge impact on ordinary people to the flagship projects critical to the achievement of the country’s vision, thus resonating well with the mantra “leaving no one and no place behind”.
Beneficiaries of these people-centred projects cut across the social strata to include the general public; previously marginalised groups such as women, youths, and people living with disabilities and those with small to medium enterprises.
Some of the notable projects include Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway upgrading and widening, Harare Chirundu highway, repair of Cyclone Idai induced damaged roads, and modernisation of ports of entry such as Beitbridge border post and Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.