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MDC rescued Zimbabwe during GNU
21 Mar 2017 at 05:55hrs | Views
MDC-T senior official Tapiwa Mashakada said his party rescued Zimbabwe during the GNU and anything to the contrary are desperate attempts to equalize.
Mashakada said the business of Zanu PF was to block all MDC led programs during the inclusive government.
"But this did not stop the best efforts of MDC deployees. To be frank i think MDC must be judged under the circumstances not as if it was running the whole gvt alone. Let me highlight some of our achievements: Macroeconomic stability - when we joined government the US dollar was restricted. In order to trade in the green back one needed to have a forex trading licence. Immediately we came in we pushed for full dollarization of the economy," he said.
"We paid $100 to all civil servants and abolished vouchers. We liberalized the financial sector and there was a steady flow of money. In 2009 we were collecting $40million in revenue per month but by 2013 we were collecting $200 million. Between 2009 and 2013 the economy was growing at an average of 7%. Shops that were empty were filled. Fuel supplies were restored. I vividly remember that before the GNU you had to sell a cow to buy a cellphone line but we brought in competition riding on the US Dollar and reduced the sim card to $2 only."
He said mobile phone penetration increased and base stations were rolled out to the remotest parts of rural Zimbabwe. Was that not a revolution?
"During our time in the inclusive government there were no cash shortages. No US dollar crisis. We kept the budget deficit at zero due to our cash budgeting philosophy. Now the cumulative budget deficit stands at $1.6billion. During the unity government nostro accounts were populated and businesses imported raw materials and goods without hassles. Inflation was negative. Bank deposits grew from a small base of $2b in 2009 to $5 billion in 2013," he said.
"When we joined the inclusive gvt cholera was footloose. There was a humanitarian crisis. We mobilized foreign resources and UN agencies. In a matter of weeks we contained cholera. NB no space. Check whats up media."
Mashakada said the business of Zanu PF was to block all MDC led programs during the inclusive government.
"But this did not stop the best efforts of MDC deployees. To be frank i think MDC must be judged under the circumstances not as if it was running the whole gvt alone. Let me highlight some of our achievements: Macroeconomic stability - when we joined government the US dollar was restricted. In order to trade in the green back one needed to have a forex trading licence. Immediately we came in we pushed for full dollarization of the economy," he said.
"We paid $100 to all civil servants and abolished vouchers. We liberalized the financial sector and there was a steady flow of money. In 2009 we were collecting $40million in revenue per month but by 2013 we were collecting $200 million. Between 2009 and 2013 the economy was growing at an average of 7%. Shops that were empty were filled. Fuel supplies were restored. I vividly remember that before the GNU you had to sell a cow to buy a cellphone line but we brought in competition riding on the US Dollar and reduced the sim card to $2 only."
He said mobile phone penetration increased and base stations were rolled out to the remotest parts of rural Zimbabwe. Was that not a revolution?
"During our time in the inclusive government there were no cash shortages. No US dollar crisis. We kept the budget deficit at zero due to our cash budgeting philosophy. Now the cumulative budget deficit stands at $1.6billion. During the unity government nostro accounts were populated and businesses imported raw materials and goods without hassles. Inflation was negative. Bank deposits grew from a small base of $2b in 2009 to $5 billion in 2013," he said.
"When we joined the inclusive gvt cholera was footloose. There was a humanitarian crisis. We mobilized foreign resources and UN agencies. In a matter of weeks we contained cholera. NB no space. Check whats up media."
Source - Byo24News
