The Sunday Mail
Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo
On September 11, 2015, President Mugabe reshuffled his Cabinet, swearing in some ministers and deputy ministers and reassigning others. Ambassador Simon Khaya, who previously served as Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Minister, is now Minister of Policy Coordination and Promotion of Socio-Economic Ventures in the President’s Office. Last week, our Senior Reporter Lincoln Towindo engaged Minister SK Moyo on his latest brief. We publish the minister’s responses below. First of all, I will outline the functions of the ministry. These are:
◆ To assist the Presidency in the coordination of policies, programmes and any other socio-economic ventures of a cross-cutting nature that may be embarked on;
◆ To facilitate the maintenance of productive interface between Government and the private sector and other stakeholders, including through the National Economic Consultative Forum dialogue platform, in order to ensure collaborative and integrative approach to policy formulation, coordination and implementation;
◆ To ensure effective coordination within Government in the promotion of good corporate governance and results-based management in State enterprises and parastatals;
◆ To carry out public affairs responsibilities of Government to make citizens understand and appreciate the work of Government; and
◆ To foster and maintain effective interface with policy think-tanks for the purpose of enriching policy development, implementation and management by the entirety of Government. Currently, there are systems in place to coordinate Government policies, programmes and projects. However, there is room to improve both coordination and implementation.
For example, greater coordination resulted in improved service delivery at the Registrar General’s Office. Already, Government is coordinating and implementing similar projects in various sectors that will result in improved service delivery. These include the “Ease of Doing Business” project that will enable Government to have a direct positive impact on business conditions through legal, regulatory and administrative reforms. In order to achieve the intended objectives in the shortest possible timeframe, such programmes need greater coordination. Thus, our priorities are coordinating the implementation of the 10-Point Economic Growth Plan as enunciated by His Excellency the President in his 2015 State of the Nation Address and coordinating the implementation of socio-economic ventures across Government in liaison with Zim-Asset Cluster co-Chairs. The ministry’s vision is to achieve coordinated implementation of Government policies, programmes and projects that ensure quality service delivery to the generality of the people of Zimbabwe. Policy coordination entails bringing together various stakeholders with varying interests in any Government policy, programme or project to ensure that their views are taken on board, thus ensuring policy consistency, policy clarity and, ultimately, focused implementation of key Government priorities. Lack of policy coordination impedes development through:
◆ Limited ownership and participation by some key stakeholders in the implementation of particular policies, programmes and projects;
◆ Duplication and or overlapping of efforts by different arms of Government when implementing Government projects, resulting in wastage of limited resources;
◆ No common understanding or interpretation of Government policies;
◆ Poor or limited stakeholder consultations; and
◆ Misallocation of skilled manpower within Government. Policy coordination in an environment of limited fiscal space becomes even more critical to ensure maximum returns from limited resources. In this regard, it becomes imperative for Government to coordinate implementation of key projects and consequently minimise wastage of financial and human resources. In essence, policy coordination ensures Government’s approach.
The 10-Point Economic Growth Plan clearly complements the Zim-Asset blueprint. It basically focuses on the clusters under Zim-Asset. For example, revitalising agriculture and agro-processing falls neatly into the Food and Nutrition Security Cluster and the utilities sector falls perfectly well into the Infrastructure and Utilities Cluster. Hence, the President was emphasising on the urgent need for the nation to redouble its efforts in implementing Zim-Asset. The key results from the 10-Point Economic Growth Plan 1. Revitalising agriculture and the agro-processing value chain
◆ Clearing all outstanding payments to farmers for maize and wheat already delivered to the GMB
◆ Increased mechanisation of the sector, resulting in increased production ◆ Increased area under irrigation, resulting in increased productivity and increased output
◆ Increased output to the manufacturing sector
◆ Increased exports of processed products
2. Advancing beneficiation and or value addition to the agricultural and mining resource endowment ◆ Increased exports of processed products
◆ Increased foreign currency flows into the country
◆ Increased employment opportunities
◆ Increased skills development
◆ Increased business activities
◆ Increased tax revenue base
3. Focusing on infrastructure development, particularly in the key energy, water, transport and lCTs subsectors
◆ Increased business activity
◆ Reduced costs of doing business
◆ Improved road network
◆ Improved and clean water availability
◆ Improved connectivity resulting in improved service delivery
◆ Improved business environment
4. Unlocking the potential of Small and Medium Enterprises
◆ Increased production of locally produced goods
◆ Increased employment opportunities
◆ Increased tax revenue base
5. Encouraging private sector investments
◆ Same as above
6. Restoration and building of confidence and stability in the financial services sector
◆ Increased savings from the public
◆ Increased Foreign Direct Investment
◆ Increased investment by both local and foreign investors 7. Promoting joint ventures and public partnerships to boost the role and performance of State-owned companies
◆ Same as above
8. Modernising Labour Laws
◆ Transparent, efficient and effective communication between employers and employees
9. Pursuing anti-corruption thrust
◆ Improved ease of doing business
◆ More foreign currency flows into the country
◆ Decreased perceived risk of the country by potential investors
10. Implementation of Special Economic Zones to provide the impetus of foreign direct investment
◆ Improved ease of doing business
◆ More foreign currency flows through more investment
◆Increased employment opportunities Government’s strategies on corruption:
a. Giving legal effect to the National Code of Corporate Governance by translating it into law.
b. Implementation of the National Code of Corporate Governance.
c. Enactment of a new Procurement Bill before the end of 2015. The Bill will incorporate Comesa procurement guidelines which emphasise devolution of power to award tenders to procuring entities. The procuring entities will comprise Government ministries, parastatals, State enterprises and local authorities.
The State Procurement Board will be transformed into a new non-executive procurement authority tasked with setting standards and guidelines as well as monitoring compliance of procurement entities. It will also act as advisor to Government on public procurement. A public procurement training school will be established at the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (Zipam) so as to train public servants. In addition, a department for procurement and auditing will also be established as part of improving accountability and transparency.
d. Implementation by all public entities of the Auditor General’s prior years’ audit recommendations to improve accountability, transparency, corporate governance, efficiency and effectiveness of institutions. e. Arresting without fear or favour those caught on the wrong side of the law. f. Implementation of the Corporate Governance and Remuneration Policy Framework.
Government’s strategies on infrastructure development:
a. Private sector participation as the owners of investment capital, with Government providing an enabling environment.
b. Promoting Foreign Direct Investment through implementation of various funding models including:-
◆ Project financing.
◆ Build Operate and Transfer Systems.
◆ Joint ventures or public-private-partnerships. The country’s Joint Venture Bill awaits Parliamentary approval.
◆ Current financing.
c. Implementation of the “Ease of Doing Business Project”, thus will result in the following achievements by December 31, 2015:
◆ Establishment of a Functional One Stop Investment Centre with decision-making powers to finalise investment deals.
◆ Reducing the number of days it takes for investors to register a company by streamlining processes and procedures.
◆ Overhauling of the outdated Companies Act and all pieces of allied legislation which hitherto hindered the Ease of Doing Business in the country.
◆ Amending the Banking Act with a view to strengthening management, supervision and surveillance of financial institutions as well as protecting depositors. Government’s strategies on Small and Medium Enterprise development:
a. Promoting the formalisation and graduation of the informal to formal, and from micro to small, small to medium and medium to large enterprises.
b. Setting up of common facility centres to facilitate introduction of new technologies and innovation throughout the country. c. Incorporation of entrepreneurship in higher and tertiary education institution syllabi.
d. Development of a data base register, manage and monitor Small and Medium Enterprises.
State enterprises’ strategies: a. Government has now embarked on a programme of parastatal reform which has prioritised
10 strategic State enterprises for urgent attention. In each case, specialised audits are to be undertaken and various reform and turn-around options identified. Highlighting the importance we accord to agriculture, this parastatal reform programme is beginning with the Grain Marketing Board and the Cold Storage Company.
b. Implementation of the Corporate Governance and Remuneration Policy Framework. c. Translating the National Code of Corporate Governance into law.
