THE Morgan Tsvangirai-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) yesterday launched its economic blueprint, acronymed Juice, which it says is aimed at correcting Zimbabwe’s structurally weak economy characterised by “enclavity”, huge levels of poverty, social underdevelopment, decayed infrastructure and a crippling debt overhang.
CLIVE MPHAMBELA
Juice stands for Jobs, Upliftment, Investment Capital and the Environment, and is apparently a counter proposal to Zanu PF’s Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Programme.
“Juice is our framework to create jobs and build a strong, growing economy that is financially and environmentally sustainable, where growth is evenly shared across the country and not by a privileged few,” reads part of the detailed document.
The MDC-T says with more than eight in every 10 people in Zimbabwe unemployed, the pressing need is for creating new jobs, which is more empowering than indeterminate share ownership.
The blueprint’s thrust is to reverse the economy’s inability to grow and create jobs. The MDC-T document says 32 years of a Zanu PF government had compounded the country’s structural problems as self-induced policy distortions were effected by a government with no vision, craft or competence of moving the country forward.
According to Juice, jobs are not just the engine of poverty reduction or a derivative of growth – “they are transformative in and of themselves, and can help drive the pathways to development”.
The policy document lays out the MDC— T’s job plan and sets out what it says are “the foundations of a multi-sectoral approach to job creation, wealth creation and poverty alleviation. The policy document also lays out key benchmarks which it sets out to achieve over a five-year period.
“As a direct result of Juice we expect to achieve the creation of one million new jobs between 2013 and 2018, with a projected average GDP growth rate of 8% per annum,” the document says.
Macroeconomic stability anchored in single-digit inflation, deepening and strengthening the role of SMEs, widening domestic savings mobilisation and the normalisation of Zimbabwe’s international relations, are among Juice’s objectives.
The MDC-T says it would implement a Natural Resources Charter, promote a green economy, and increase power generation capacity to 6 000 Megawatts by 2018. The MDC-T hopes to drive reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure and attract FDI of at least 30% of GDP.
The aim is to lay the foundation for a US$100 billion first world economy by 2040.
I am happy that the party of excellence has finally launched its blueprint. However, may l remind MDC T that Zimbabwe has in the past launched more than good plans but all those have been sacrificed by lack of political will and commitment. Thus it’s one thing to come up with an economic blueprint yet it’s another thing to implement what has been put down. My humble call is that MDC should walk the talk. They must remain committed to the cause for democratisation of Zimbabwe. It has to be stated that youth issues have to be attended to.Come to our rescue. Please don’t relax. There is need to mobilize youth to register to vote.Zimbabweans need you and you also need Zimbabweans therefore don’t let us down. We want jobs and let me say youth out there are disgruntled.
When will the PM come clean about the acquisition of funds enough to recompense Ms Karimatsenga? Surely his salary is not that vast ? Or has he descended into the same depths inhabited by most of Zanu PF? Unless he stands as an example to the rest of Zimbabwe that Corruption will not be tolerated, we will never climb out of the mess that we are in and Zimbabwe will end up as just another corrupt, starving hegemony of Africa. Surely enough supporters have been brutalised and killed in the name of justice , freedom and rule of law.
I stood in the front line during the 2002 election like countless others and we have watched helpless whilst the hero of our cause has made empty threats against Mugabe, time after time threatening to pull out of the GNU, to stop the violence against our supporters and to restore the rule of Law. Now all we see is a PM and his cronies indulging in the same practices as those he shouts against. Perhaps the next election will bring forth a new leader ; one who is courageous enough to stand up against the threats of the CIO. A man of principle who is willing to put his life on the line, like so many who have supported him. It is time Mr PM that you started to deserve the support we have given you.
I doubt whether you will even read this , it seems your ears are deaf to us mere mortals, deaf to the cries of the beaten and abused and deaf to the fact that you have been elevated to the position you hold, not to scorn , but to serve us as the democratically elected leader of our country .
@Miles. This CIO way of writing has got holes all over it, we can see through it from a distance and it leaks dismally. The Herald tried it with the Locardia story and it backfired and made Morgan even more popular.
I urge you not to give up but to try another approach.
There is no doubt that Zimbabwe’s level of unemployment and investment is worse than it was in 1980/1990 years. Government policies do influence DFI, economic growth and monetary policies in general. The ZANU (PF) government inherited not perfect but one of the sound managed economy in the world and for sometime in the 1980s, the government pursued the same economic agenda. Zimbabwe became a regional destination block for Conglomerates .eg. Coke Cola, Phillips Olivine Industries, Siemens, Delta etc., during the apartheid error, we actually benefitted from the international Isolation of SA. The problem was that the government failed to strategically plan ahead with a review of risk factors that included the likelihood of South Africa being Independent, as it impacts on Zimbabwean’s economy.
How do you then woo investors and promote economic growth? Gono’s unconventional monetary policy of Quantitative easing without fiscal discipline was the greatest mistake of a ZANU (PF) government, leading to a hyperinflation ever since records begun. The breakdown of the rule of law, lack of investment security and tenure all contributed to global economic isolation and economic disengagement by companies. MDC’s JUICE clearly acknowledges the state’s role as that of implementing policies that use a balance of tax incentives and formulating a conducive climate of investment, that underpin innovation, wealth creation and social mobility. For instance UK’s interest pegged at 0.5% has had an economic stabling effect and is periodically reviewed, similarly; USA at 0.25%, China at 6% and India at 8% are examples of how government tax regimes can influence economic growth and stabilisation agenda. The SMART targets contained in the JUICE policy document are achievable through both emulating other models globally that worked and a reversal of the JUNTA -type socio-political agenda that reversed the gains of Zimbabwe as a jewel of Africa in the first place. If we have been there before, then its not asking for an arm and a leg to get Zimbabwe working again, it’s that simple. The ZANU (PF) government has been meddling too much in fiscal policy stabilisation and economic growth, to such an extend that reviews were not soberly done to weigh the effectiveness of warpath policies. This brought about an economic stagnation and finally an economic decline; companies simply packed their tools as politics shifted from enhancing social agenda to that of political vindictiveness without due regard to its impact to the economy.
Looking at the above analysis it is clear that the 1 million figure for job creation between 2013 and 2018 is a conservative figure. While it does not translate to a major employment boost, it does set the economic stage to make Zimbabweans work again. It is indeed possible to surpass that figure but we have to understand that massive economic infrastructure has to be rehabilitated and at times rebuilt to support the investment in question. The MDC comes with a global investment good will which ZANU (PF) has long abused; the GNU speaks volumes of the capacity of MDC to instil budgetary discipline.
BS.Pure and simple.No further comment needed.
JUICE sounds practical.The implementation part is the one that must get all the effort. Our youth need employment badly.The economic revival and rejuvination of our country require our industry to be running day and night. I strongly believe that if JUICE is well implemented, it is the panacea, the much awaited for injection that is going to bring back Life to our moribund economy and bring development to our country.
At least in JUICE the MDC has a plan to take the country foward. Zanu only have a plan to redistribute what is already there through indiginization which is what is technically called a zero sum game in that it has no impact on GDP. Fact
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