PRESIDENT Mnangagwa last night left Harare for Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting where he will join 50 other heads of state and government to deliberate on policies and strategies needed to address challenges facing the globe.
According to the WEF programme, President Mnangagwa will
tomorrow (Tuesday) give opening remarks at a workshop centred on the theme,
“Unlocking New Investment and Services Markets”.
This year’s WEF is the first global in-person leadership
event since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taking place from May 22 to 26, the meeting is centred on
the theme, “History at a Turning Point: Government Policies and Business
Strategies”.
In line with the theme, President Mnangagwa’s
administration has already undertaken wide-ranging economic reforms with
far-reaching impact, aimed at growing the economy towards upper middle income
status by 2030.
The annual meeting also offers the Zimbabwean delegation an
opportunity to pursue its engagement and re-engagement policy thrust that is
premised on trade and investment.
It is a policy that the Second Republic has pursued since
2018 when President Mnangagwa first attended the WEF and declared that
“Zimbabwe is Open for Business”.
And true to his word, the country has made significant
progress in opening up the economy to investors and President Mnangagwa and his
high-powered delegation will take this opportunity to highlight opportunities
and exchange insights.
Before President Mnangagwa took over from the late former
President Mugabe, Zimbabwe was ranked 159 out of 190 countries on the 2017
World Ease of Doing Business index.
The ranking has improved to 140, according to the 2021
World Bank annual ratings, highlighting the positive strides made by the Second
Republic. The Ease of Doing Business index has, however, been discontinued
globally.
President Mnangagwa will thus, once again, use this
opportunity to market Zimbabwe to the world.
According to the World Economic Forum, the annual meeting
offers world leaders an opportunity to “take stock of the state of the world
and shape partnerships and policies for the crucial period ahead”.
World Economic Forum founder and executive chairman Klaus
Schwab is on record as saying there is a need to “establish an atmosphere of
trust” needed to accelerate collaborative action and address multiple
challenges that the world is facing including the Covid-19 pandemic and the
ongoing conflict in Ukraine which has disrupted global supply chains and sent
prices, including food prices, skyrocketing.
Other topics on the agenda include rebuilding global
co-operation; economic rebalancing; society, equity and global health; nature,
food and climate; industry transformation; and innovation, governance and
cybersecurity.
The President is accompanied by Foreign Affairs and
International Trade Minister, Ambassador Frederick Shava, Finance and Economic
Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr
Sekai Nzenza as well as Deputy Chief Secretary – Presidential Communications,
Mr George Charamba.
He was seen off at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International
Airport by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, senior Government officials and
service chiefs.
Meanwhile, VP Chiwenga is the Acting President. Herald
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