Zimbabwe will rise

IN HIS book titled “How Rich Countries Got Rich and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor”, Professor Erik Reinert explains to us that it will only be when we adopt strategies to deliberately industrialise through manufacturing that we can begin to achieve increasing marginal returns to create employment and sustainable higher incomes.

We should therefore slowly move away from resource based revenues because they give diminishing marginal returns and move towards rapid industrialisation to achieve our developmental objectives. There is no shortage of ideas out there with regard to how we in Zimbabwe can get out of this rut. However, we have to come together as a nation and rally ourselves around a compelling inclusive national development strategy at whose centre must be localised developmental initiatives which benefit our people first.

We must look beyond indigenisation to better and broader local economic empowerment strategies and if necessary protect our economy to allow sustainable capacity building and revival.

Rich countries became rich through industrialisation and the promotion of vibrant local business class while protecting their industries from foreign competition to allow themselves to build the necessary momentum and capacity to compete. In addition, they secured markets in colonies by any means necessary and even prohibited the manufacture of specific goods there. In one of his Appendices in the book, Reinert includes “Phillip von Hornigk’s Nine Points on How to Emulate Rich Countries” written in 1684, well before Adam Smith in 1930. Hornigk is the author of a book which outlined Austria’s strategy in 1684 which resulted in the greatest increase in Austria’s wealth over 100 years. I have just extracted the relevant points and attempted to be as brief as possible while para-phrasing and consolidating those issues raised by Hornigk; The first point he raises is that any country should inspect its soils with greatest care not to leave any agricultural possibilities of a single corner or clod of earth unconsidered. Every useful form of plant under the sun should be experimented with and considered for adaption to the country.

Agriculture remains at the cornerstone of our economic revival and we must therefore do all we can to restore a vibrant market driven agricultural sector driven by security of tenure, access to capital, high productivity and diversification of products. We must also increase our research capabilities so that we come up with new production methods and new products. Secondly, Hornigk says that-no trouble or expense should be spared to find gold or silver and to keep it. Gold and silver once in the country, whether from own mines or obtained by industry from other countries, are under no circumstances to be taken out for any purpose. They should never be converted into any use which destroys them. We must therefore invest in more exploration and re-examine the bottlenecks which continue to stifle minerals production. For example, Zimbabwe can achieve the production of 100 tonnes of gold per annum compared to the current 25 to 30 tons. However we must do all we can to increase our gold reserves by dealing with leakages and if we can, avoid the need to convert all of it into cash and build our own gold reserves. In addition we must maximise output of platinum, chrome, nickel, diamonds, coal, phosphates, lithium among others.

The third point he raises is that all commodities found in the country, which cannot be used in their natural state should be worked up within the country since payment for manufacturing generally exceeds the value of raw materials by two, three, ten, twenty or even hundred-fold and the neglect of this is an abomination to prudent management.

In carrying out the above, there will be need for people for cultivating the raw materials and for working them up. Therefore, the people should be turned by all possible means from idleness to remunerative professions instructed and encouraged in all kinds of inventions, arts and trades and if necessary instructors should be brought in from foreign lands for this.

This basically means that we must create employment and stifle the importation of finished products but add value locally. Value addition driven industrialisation is the key. Fourth, the inhabitants of the country should make every effort to get along with their domestic products to confine their luxuries to these alone and to do without foreign products as far as possible and if necessary such foreign products should be exchanged for other wares and not for gold or silver.

Our Government must lead here and the imminent introduction of sectorial based Local Content Policy (LCP) is a move in the right direction. I however think that industry and not government needs to lead the effort. We must aggressively promote the “buy Zimbabwe” philosophy and lead by example. Fifth, such foreign imports should be obtained in their unfinished form and worked up within the country, thus earning the wages of manufacturing there.“Except for important considerations, no importation should be allowed under any circumstances of commodities of which there is a sufficient supply of suitable quality at home.

“In these matters, neither sympathy nor compassion should be shown foreigners, kinsfolk, allies or enemies. All friendship ceases when it involves my own weakness and ruin. And this holds good even if domestic products are of poor quality or even higher priced. For it would be better to pay for an article two dollars which remain in the country than only one which goes out.” says Hornigk.

Lastly, opportunities should be sought night and day for selling the country’s superfluous goods to these foreigners in manufactured form for gold and silver if possible and their consumption must be sought in the farthest ends of the earth and developed in every possible way. Regional integration is therefore key. The Sadc and COMESA markets for example, have a total of 600 million consumers who can buy our goods and services. We are also strategically placed in the centre of the region and can also be the trade gateway. Infrastructure rehabilitation and development must be a priority.

Now if this is not economic theory and practice simplified, I don’t know what is. I have always argued that to come up with economic policies is a simple matter for its principles are universal and proven. What matters is the value system of leadership and the ability to implement, manage and allocate resources prudently. It is the ability of skilled technicians, prudent accountants, ethical lawyers, experienced engineers and disciplined administrators, industrious farmers, good miners and creative entrepreneurs all of which we have in abundance both locally and in the diaspora which can unlock our potential. Ours is to merely harness their skills and create the necessary space for them to do what they do best. A compelling inclusive national vision which accepts the above principles as sacrosanct combined with competent management and an alignment of Government policies which are consistent and well thought out can truly unlock our full potential as a country, improve our quality of life and create wealth for ourselves and generations to come.

◆ Vince Musewe is an economist and economic development policy advisor and you may contact him on vtmusewe@gmail.com