This was after members of the private sector and delegates
attending the inaugural Zimbabwe Annual Investor Forum in Harare failed to ask
questions after his address.
The event was hosted by Alpha Media Holdings (AMH)’s
Zimbabwe Independent newspaper in partnership with PiggyBankAdvisor.
Mnangagwa then put the challenge to the delegates to point
out his government’s shortcomings.
“I want to know as a government, what the private sector
thinks we are not doing correctly (as a government),” Mnangagwa asked, while
insisting that government was on course with robust, responsive investment and
trade strategies to revive the country’s economy.
“Our cross-cutting reforms have to date enhanced the
investment environment and have seen greater participation of the private
sector,” he said.
“Additionally, economic management is continually being
strengthened while better public financial management and performance of
State-owned enterprises is vigorously being pursued. This forum is, therefore,
pivotal and timeous as it interrogates various ways to scale up sustainable
long-term financing and investment.”
Mnangagwa said his government’s “Zimbabwe is open for
business” mantra had primed the country for both foreign and domestic
investment.
“I am aware that if you look at the developed and now
developed countries like China and the BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa] countries, it is not only foreign direct investment that has made
them developed, but it is also domestic investment.
“By domestic investment, we don’t mean we should find among
our citizens, people with loads of money. We must have systems that make sure
that the little we have is used for projects for development.
“I would like to assure you that your investments into our
economy are secure, that the operating environment is stable and that you are
supported by policy, certainty and regulatory safeguards in this economy,” he
told the conference.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe continued to grow despite attacks
from its detractors.
“Beyond the negative rhetoric and the reality of the
economic sanctions, the facts supersede and speak louder than the falsehoods
peddled by our country’s detractors. Zimbabwe has a vast untapped potential and
investors stand to gain much more by choosing to invest in our great country of
Zimbabwe.
“Our abundant mineral resource base, which is largely
unexplored and unexploited, makes us one of the most viable environments for
investment worldwide,” he said .
The President hailed AMH for providing platforms that
promote dialogue for Zimbabwe’s economic development.
“The creation of such forums is commendable. It
demonstrates the group’s commitment to promote Zimbabwe as an investment
destination. This will also help foster partnerships from other more developed
countries within the community of nations,” he added.
PiggyBankAdvisor’s Batanai Matsika queried government
policy inconsistency.
“In terms of policy as a government, there have been a lot
of changes that have led to a lot of instability in terms of how businesses can
actually plan and focus on the future. In terms of the policy environment, we
need to smoothen it out,” Matsika said.
AMH group chief executive Kenias Mafukidze pledged the
company’s commitment to work with government in building the country.
“It is in our interest to support the great vision you
(Mnangagwa) have given us and your coming to join the private sector and
government entities here is a sign of leadership and unity which we commend,”
he said.
“We destroy or build our country together and we will be there as media to hold the
mirror against all of us and I know that we as media sometimes are not popular
and, in some instances, people tend to destroy the mirror when they do not like
the image. But what I hope is that we tell each other the truth so that we
build each other.”
The investor forum was attended by Foreign Affairs and
International Trade minister Frederick Shava, captains of industry and
investors from several sectors of the Zimbabwean economy. Newsday
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