Zimbabwe legislator says you cannot celebrate surplus amid poverty and joblessness

In the SONA, the President also touched on the economic stimulus package; the 18.3 billion economic stimulus package.  We must see the results of that economic stimulus package on the ground.  So far, there is nothing to show for that economic stimulus package.  The results are not yet tangible for us to see the post COVID stimulation package that was put in place by the Minister.  I do not know the implementation mechanism, but I have not seen the impact of the stimulus package.  There is no supply response in the manufacturing sector or other sectors. We are yet to see the impact of the 18.3 billion stimulus package and I urge the Minister to work hard to make sure that the package gets traction and gets results.

Having said that, we in the Opposition are worried by the fact that these economic policies are being formulated and implemented without the participation of stakeholders.  The Ministry of Finance is just sitting on its own.  I sit in the Budget Committee. Yesterday we were actually complaining that we do not know anything about the formulation of the TSP.  We were not consulted on the formulation of the successor programme which is the National Development Strategy…

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. KHUMALO):  Hon. Member, you are left with five minutes.

HON. DR. MASHAKADA:  If policies are made and the stakeholders are not consulted, it is not good for the country because these policies are made for the people. The trade unions were not consulted.  We are a labour backed party which is pro-poor.  We get concerned if the trade unions are not consulted when these policies are being formulated.  We get concerned when the civil society is not consulted. We get concerned as an official Opposition Party if we are not consulted; when the NDS and the TSP are pronounced and developed because we will have no option but to attack those policies because we have not been part and parcel of their formulation.

I want to urge the Minister of Finance and Government as a whole to adopt a participatory and consultative approach so that all stakeholders are consulted in the formulation of economic policies for Zimbabwe.  That is the only way to make sure that even the forth coming Budget will be pro-poor and development oriented.

I will not say much today.  I would like to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me.

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