SIFISO MAPURANGA AND TANATSWA KADENGA
Industry is pinning hopes on the delayed Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) to address their concerns , former Industry and Commerce Minister, Sithembiso Nyoni has said.
Every year, the MPS is often presented in February but has not been done.
No explanation has been given though speculation is rife that new central bank Governor Dr John Mushayavanhu is the one to present it when he assumes office next month.
Nyoni spoke at the recent ED Business Summit held in the capital Harare and her remarks comes at a time industry is battling to extricate themselves from a myriad of headwinds, including volatile exchange rate, rocketing inflation, foreign currency shortages, and high interest rates, among many other problems.
“Everybody is looking forward to the new monetary policy, especially to try and manage the currency,” Nyoni said.
Speaking at the same event President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the private sector should work together with the public sector.
He said there should be dialogue.
“In order to achieve sustainable economic growth and transformation in the country this indeed is a journey that requires vision, commitment, determination and collective action from both the private and public sector,” said President Mnangagwa
He added: “There was dialogue between the agricultural sector and the government to an extent to have self-sufficient wheat produce and productivity and we achieved this because we had dialogue. Last year we had an excess of 41 000 metric tonnes of wheat.
“Play your part but let us dialogue. In dialogue we resolve challenges, which face sub-sectors. As a business sector you have the right to voice our mistakes as a government.”
