Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has been voted the best African Finance Minister of the Year and named among 100 Most Reputable People at the two-day Global Reputation Forum, Reputable Bank and Fintech Awards held in Westminster, England, yesterday.
Prof Ncube, who presented a paper and gave a keynote
address at the forum, was presented with the award after the Reputation Poll
International recognised the Second Republic for managing to grow the economy
by over three percent even after the devastating Covid-19 era.
Crucially, the recognition was in light of Zimbabwe having
used its resources to fight and contain the Covid-19 pandemic and shown high
levels of resilience to become one of the fastest growing economies in
Sub-Saharan Africa in the last three years.
While presenting Prof Ncube with the award, Reputation Poll
International chairman, Lord John Waverly said: “In today’s rapidly evolving
financial landscape, the convergence of technology and banking has given rise
to a new era of financial management challenges and the Zimbabwean Minister,
with a shoe-string budget, managed to fight the Covid-19 pandemic with the
Government and country recording minimal Covid-19-related human deaths.”
Zimbabwe recorded just over 5 500 Covid-19-related deaths
compared to other countries that lost over 500 000 people, despite having
top-notch health facilities. Total global Covid-19 deaths were 6 949 745.
In his address at the function, that was also attended by
some members of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, Prof Ncube said the
Zimbabwean economy had steadily grown, while critical infrastructure had been
improved under the Second Republic, even under economic sanctions.
“We have also recently presented a (2024) Budget proposal
that is meant to improve our economy,” said Prof Ncube.
In an interview, Prof Ncube said he was “delighted to have
been honoured as the African Minister of the Year 2023, Global Reputation
Poll”.
“I received the award in London, UK, at the Global
Reputation Forum,” he said.
“This award is a recognition of all the work I and the
Treasury team have put into implementing various economic policies and
financial management that have spearheaded the transformation of the economy.
“The focus on domestic resource mobilisation in funding
Government programmes in the face of limited international credit lines and
prudent management of public finances, within a public deficit of less than 1,5
percent of GDP over the last five years, is being recognised.”
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Christian
Katsande, said the Second Republic had grown the economy under difficult
circumstances.
He urged Zimbabweans living in the UK to take advantage of
the opportunities created by President Mnangagwa’s Government to invest back
home.
Ambassador Katsande added that foreign investors should
equally take advantage of the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement
drive to invest in Zimbabwe.
“We have borne witness to the fruits of the engagement and
re-engagement drive by the Second Republic and therefore encourage investors to
take advantage of the unending investment opportunities unveiled by His
Excellency President Mnangagwa’s mantra, ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’,” he
said.
Among dignitaries that attended the high-level global forum
were – Bank of England head of technology and security risk oversight Mr Peter
Kolade Fashesin-Souza, the Right Honourable Baroness Sandip Verma, Members of
the House of Lords, a global Transformational Expert Mr Pierre Montersino, and
Mr Joe Gene Mulbah, the Liberia senior adviser on national infrastructural
development to the President-Elect of Liberia, among others. Herald
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