German envoy hails Zim investment reforms

GERMAN Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Thorsten Hutter has welcomed measures that Government is adopting to improve the country’s investment climate.

Mr Hutter made the remarks after paying a courtesy call on Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda at Parliament this week.

“One of the issues we want to focus on very much is improving relations with Africa and the Honourable Speaker has pointed out that Parliament is working on improving the investment climate and improving the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe and this is very much appreciated,” he said.

“Conversely, the EU and the G20 will be looking at possibilities of encouraging companies to come to Africa and to invest in Africa.”

Mr Hutter said he would continue with the re-engagement efforts to improve ties between the two countries.

“I have been sent here by my government to continue with the work which my predecessor had started,” he said. “The Honourable Speaker had pointed out that after the last elections, the Government of Zimbabwe and the EU decided to re-engage and this is a process that is ongoing and that is my job to re-engage with the Government.

“We want to have dialogue. I want to see what options are there, in particular to have an improvement on the Zimbabwe side. We are always looking for what I would call success stories in trade and investment here in the country. That also means we have to discuss issues where things are not perfect yet.”

Mr Hutter said Germany, as the chair of the G20 group of industrialised nations, was focusing on increasing investment on the African continent.

“I am pleased to say Germany this year holds the chair of the G20, the group of large industrialised nations,” he said. “The main focus of the G20 is on cooperation with African countries.

“The German government will be hosting two important summits, one in June in Berlin and the summit of the Heads of State and Government in July in Hamburg and at the end of the year in November, the AU will be holding their summit in Abidjan to discuss the future cooperation between these two unions.”