BULAWAYO – Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has said Zimbabwe’s economy is doing well and Zimbabweans should enjoy the “good times”.
Addressing delegates during the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) convention held in Bulawayo last week, Ncube said the country has experienced a positive rate of growth for three years in a row. He said:
We have had such a positive rate of growth for three years in a row, 8.5% gross domestic product growth in 2021, 6.5% in 2022 and this year we are expecting to achieve 6%.
Enjoy the economy and we are in good times. People are hurt by inflation, they were hurt by the previous currency weakness.
How many times have we heard about speculation that shelves would be empty, I have never seen such full shelves since 1980.
Eighty percent of the goods are locally made, I cannot remember a time when 80% of goods were locally made. Why do we have a parallel market?
Ncube said the current multi-currency regime will remain in place and therefore people should not complain. Ncube said:
So you have no reason to worry, or speculate about the currency because you have an option to use many currencies that are there.
I do not know of any country that is allowed to do that, you have a choice so do not complain about that choice.
Treasury is no longer using the central bank as a cash box, five years in a row; fundamentals have been put in place. It is not about the past, why the hell of having a parallel market?
If it is not to do with just speculative behaviour, civil servants and companies have found an easy way of making money.
However, National Consumer Rights Association spokesperson Effie Ncube said the economic progress that Ncube is bragging about is “fictional”. He said:
Despite the promises of economic revival that the government has been making, millions of Zimbabweans are still languishing in worsening unemployment, poverty and hunger.
For many, the situation is hopeless and degrading. The government should come down to where real people live and not talk about fictional and non-existent economic growth.
More: Pindula News
