World Bank aims to make Zimbabwe more investor-friendly

The World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) said it is assisting Zimbabwe with regularising and improving its operating environment to attract investors and pave the way for potential advancement of financial packages for the country's private sector.

Many financiers and lenders are shunning Zimbabwe because of its high risk perception and inhibiting regulatory and operating framework. Fund managers, economists and other experts have blamed factors such as indigenisation laws and sudden policy shifts and announcements for the subdued investment inflows into Zimbabwe.

Officials from the IFC - who are in the country to meet business executives - have however dashed high expectations of any immediate financial packages, signalling the huge amount of work Zimbabwe still has to do before international partners start seeing it as a worthy investment destination.