“The outlook, based on the status quo, points to a situation where projected revenues fall short of meeting employment costs,” Chinamasa said, adding that Cabinet had approved plans to reduce the government wage bill by $118 million by the end of 2016.
Chinamasa proposes to reduce the civil service, which he says stands at 298 000 currently, to 273 000 by the end of 2017.
With virtually every revenue dollar going to pay salaries, government has resorted to borrowing, running up a $632,2 million budget deficit in the process.
“Failure to contain the budget deficit will worsen the situation to a year-end level of over $1 billion,” Chinamasa told a stunned Parliament.
Government had forecast a $150 million budget deficit for 2016.
“The budget deficit is being financed by way of borrowing primarily through issuance of Treasury Bills. This is crowding out credit to the private sector, thereby stifling new domestic investment and growth,” Chinamasa added.
Exports amounted to $1.1 billion in the first half, a 9 percent decline on the corresponding period of 2015. Imports also declined to $2.5 billion up to June 2016, compared to $2.9 billion in the same period of last year.
Remittances by non-resident Zimbabweans, a key source of liquidity, were $387.9 million in the first half of 2016, 15 percent lower than the $457.8 million registered in the first six months of 2015.”
Chinamasa identified as key sources of Zimbabwe’s economic malaise: low levels of production and the attendant trade gap, insignificant foreign direct investment and lack of access to international finance due to huge arrears.
He made a case for the continuation of Zimbabwe’s efforts to re-engage international capital and Western governments that fell out with the Mugabe government nearly two decades ago over a violent land redistribution drive as well as charges of electoral fraud and human rights abuses.
The re-engagement process has appeared imperiled in recent months, amid a vicious government crackdown on opposition protests. Chinamasa, however, urged the government to stay the course.
“It is therefore critical that we complete the remaining steps on arrears clearance in order to unlock resources from the IFIs and bilateral co-operating partners,” he said.- The Source
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