'The time to invest in Zimbabwe is now,' says Tsvangirai

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says the time to invest in Zimbabwe is now and not after the elections.

Tsvangirai said this in a speech read on his behalf at the national business conference at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair here.

"To those investors still sitting on the sidelines, I say to them the time to invest in Zimbabwe is now. There has not been a better time and opportunity to invest in Zimbabwe than now, rather than adopt a wait and see attitude, waiting for the election outcome."

"We have a clear roadmap of our economic trajectory till 2015 in the form of our medium term plan," Tsvangirai noted in a speech read by deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe.

"Any goverment that will be formed after the election is likely to contine using the medium term plan as its economic blue print."

Tsvangirai said he wants a situation whereby there would be no disturbances to the economy during pre-election and post election period because consumers' interests were more supreme than all interests.

He said there must be a paradigm shift towards a spirit of servanthood in government because "ancient wisdom says if you want to make money, serve people, if you want more votes, serve people, the money and the votes become incidental to your serving the citizens".

Zimbabwe needed business models that suit its new environment characterised by high volume production of superior products of high quality at competitive prices, Tsvangirai also noted in the speech.

"We hear of success stories like Delta, Econet and Afrasia-Kingdom, to mention but a few that have risen to the challenges that all local businesses have faced and positioned themselves to compete in the same operating environment."

"Empirical evidence reveals that protectionism causes inefficiencies in the economy and can be a form of tax on consumers. This does not mean, of cause, that government should at the same time fail to come up with policies that promote local industry especially on the aspect of beneficiation of our raw materials and other primary products of this country," noted Tsvangirai.

"This also does not mean going back on those programes that as government, we had committed ourselves to doing, such as the Distressed Industries and Marginalised Areas Fund (DIMAF) which would change lives and industrial performance in those areas we had identified."

"Let us abide by value systems that will offer far greater opportunities for further prosperity, value additions, political stability, poverty alleviation and industrialisation.

"It is a very difficult proposition for a nation full of jobless youths to abide by these values. Let us therefore harness financial, technological and market opportunities while at the same time, rebuilding collaborative arrangements that help us achieve these noble objectives."

"Going forward, we anticipate that the various industry groups like Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ), Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) and others will collaborate to champion the national cause rather than focus on their individual interests. We all must continue to cherish the spirit of working together as Government, Labour and Business for the betterment and posterity of nation."