Business stability urgently needed now
WE pray and hope there would be no recurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future.
The onerous task is how and what should be done to stabilise the businesses, informal and formal that had been on a painful, but necessary lockdown.
Government has to make a fair intervention considering that some businesses were operating during the subsistence of the lockdown while others were completely shut down.
We have read so much from business leaders on various prescriptions needed to spur business and economic growth post the relaxation of the lockdown measures.
Government, business and labour should come up with a holistic stability package which should mainly consider mitigatory measures in as far as statutory and mainly rental and licensing obligations are concerned.
There has to be a guideline on how tenants and property owners can come up with a win-win situation regarding lockdown-induced rental arrears, noting property owners would be expecting returns on their investments yet tenants are at the deep end.
Watching the State controlled ZBC-TV news bulletin on March 8, 2021, I wondered how and which industries were reportedly going to meet their 2021 targets considering the long period the country has been under lockdown, when the world over industry and businesses are in the resuscitation room.
Availing financial rescue packages is not practical to most businesses considering the challenges to access the funds and the risk of failure to meet the repayment terms.
Our economy has been on life support for far too long and what is needed now is restoration of business confidence and stability.
The sooner the government takes a leading role in coming up with the stabilisation package the faster the economy would recover in light of the expected food security, thanks to a good rain season we have had.
To go round the issue, it’s a question of us rediscovering our confidence and restoration of hope that will be the panacea to a sound economic recovery, not expending much on political sideshows.
Kurauone Mutemaringa