Let the good times roll in 2017

W e are already a few days into 2017 and every Zimbabwean is looking forward to a prosperous year in which the fortunes of the country will take a new turn.

We are confident that 2017 is our year, considering that Government and other stakeholders have already laid the ground for economic success.

Of course, we are not oblivious to the economic troubles that have bedevilled the country in the year 2016 and before.

But these economic challenges, which are attributable to the illegal sanctions that were imposed on the country by the British and their allies, are not insurmountable.

The sanctions presented the country with an opportunity to show its resourcefulness and astuteness. This has seen Government working on various measures to mitigate against the debilitating effects of the illegal sanctions.

We expect that 2017 will see these measures leading to a complete turnaround of the economy. Let’s take the introduction of the bond notes, for example.

We closed 2016 on the back of the shortage of the United States dollar, which had become the major currency of daily business in our country.

At the adoption of the US dollar together with the multiple currency system, some analysts warned that Zimbabweans should not fool themselves into believing that the currency will be available forever.

And when the shortage started to manifest, Government came up with a $200 million credit facility from Afreximbank which backed the introduction of bond notes.

These have already restored confidence in the market as we start 2017.

The other factor that makes us look forward to 2017 with great prospects is the agricultural season. So far so good in this sector, considering the good rains that have been pounding some parts of the country.

This will allow Government to focus on other areas of economic production, as the drought that hit the country in the last year meant more efforts and resources being directed to the importation of food.

A good agricultural season in 2017 will put most of the economic fundamentals in place.

The recent upgrading of the Victoria Falls International Airport gives us the confidence that we will get more receipts from the tourism sector this year.

Victoria Falls is the premier tourist destination for Zimbabwe and what is needed in 2017 is to market the new airport to international airlines to fly directly to the resort.

Our experience has taught us that agriculture and tourism are some of the best anchors of economic revival.

Corruption has been one of the identified stumbling blocks to economic recovery and the fight against the vice has made prospects for recovery in 2017 more plausible.

The development of infrastructure, as envisaged in the Zim-Asset economic blueprint, is through partnerships with foreign investors.

The anti-corruption campaign has helped restore confidence in the foreign investors.

The power projects being undertaken, like the Kariba South expansion and the upgrading of Hwange Thermal Power Station, are expected to contribute significantly to the turnaround of the economy.

The completion of works at these two power stations is expected to fast track the industrialisation and modernisation of the economy.

This comes on the back of the easy-of-doing-business policy which Government has worked on in the past year.

We expect more foreign investors to knock on our doors this year because of this policy, which backs the recently promulgated Special Economic Zones Act.