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MDC demands pro-poor fiscal policies
Movement
for Democratic Change
July 13,
2010
Tomorrow's 2010
Mid-Term Fiscal Policy to be presented by Finance Minister Hon.
Tendai Biti must be people-orientated, pro-poor, pro-growth and
should deal with inflationary pressures. We strongly believe that
that the minister will announce measures that show pragmatism from
economic stabilisation to economic growth.
The MDC hopes that the
fiscal policy statement will be pro-poor while at the same time
tackling the issue of declining business production in the country
and the stabilisation of prices of basic commodities. The new measures
must enable the majority of Zimbabweans to afford basics services
such as power, food, health and education. The MDC hopes the minister
will announce measures that will protect the majority of the country's
workers most of whom have no decent pay while at the same time reviewing
the salaries of all civil servants who are struggling to make ends
meet.
Our expectation goes
beyond releasing further cash disbursements to ministries and parastatals.
The government should deal with distortions of prices and wages
on the market. We anticipate further economic relief to the ordinary
person through austere economic policies that reduce resurgent inflationary
pressures, wage/prices parity, creation of new jobs, enhancement
of production levels, investment attraction and infrastructure development.
Minister Biti should
look on how best to assist small-scale farmers so that they are
able to return to their fields after facing another disastrous farming
season. This will see ordinary Zimbabweans in the villages and on
the farms receiving government assistance, in a non-partisan manner
so that Zimbabwe reclaims its position as the bread-basket of the
SADC region.
The MDC expects
the Finance minister to call for transparency in the mining and
sale of diamonds at the Chiadzwa
diamond fields in Marange. We note with concern the high level
of secrecy and the human rights abuses that shroud the mining deals
in Chiadzwa as corrupt individuals loot and plunder national resources.
We believe that transparency on the diamonds in Marange will result
in increased government revenue which must enable the inclusive
government to deal with civil servants' salaries and other
pressing government commitments. We hope the Minister will come
clean on the independent diamond verification and valuation and
to state how much the State expects to gain in monetary terms so
as to bring back people's confidence on the diamonds sales.
As a party,
the MDC also believes that investment growth in the country can
only be guaranteed if all political parties and leaders adhere to
the letter and spirit of the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) signed in 2008. There can be no meaningful
investment nor foreign direct investment in an economy where leaders
do not respect agreements which they signed with neither force nor
coercion. Our financial predicament as a country, with no meaningful
revenue and a famine in investment, is greatly linked to our political
crisis.
Zanu PF has simply refused
to allow the nation to build on the hope spawned by the formation
of the inclusive government. They have refused to move away from
the politics of violence, intimidation, seizure of private property
and barbaric investment laws such as the anti-investment regulations
which they tried to push through. Empowerment and indigenisation
are good principles, but should not be ill-begotten and ill-timed.
With the limited political
latitude that he has, the MDC hopes that the Finance Minister will
announce measures that will give hope to the country's workers,
civil servants, business and the majority of the people in the villages
who demand and deserve real change.
Email mdcnewsbrief@gmail.com,
mdcpress@mweb.co.zw
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