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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
The Government and the private sector should stop giving freebies to top executives and harness resources for infrastructure projects that will support economic growth, veteran economist, Mr Thomas Zondo-Sakala has said.

The Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) chief executive officer told delegates at the just ended Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) congress here that lack of adequate infrastructure was costing the economy big time.

Mr Sakala complained that “too many freebies” were bleeding the economy saying the country’s investment in infrastructure projects has been going down since 2009.

“Zimbabwe was investing between $1.6 billion and $2 billion every year since 2009 in infrastructure development but in 2016 the country invested $0.5 billion only. Yet in some industries maybe 60 percent of burden of personnel goes to executives. The private sector is earning more and this is totally unacceptable and needs to be addressed,” said Mr Sakala.

“We also need to do away with freebies. We have too many freebies here in Zimbabwe both in the public and private sector. We all need to pay for facilities in society because somebody is paying for that production.”

He said the country should adopt a model where even executives are not given free company vehicles for use but should be given on loan.

Mr Sakala, who said the IDBZ has partnered number of local authorities in the country in infrastructure development, urged Government to consider private-public partnerships as opposed to allocating housing land to individuals.

He said IDBZ was working with Victoria Falls municipality on a $12 million water and sanitation project as well as Hwange Local Board on its sewer project as well as projects at Gweru rank, Kadoma and Marimba Park in Harare.

“If we really want to deliver as a country and have well planned and well serviced stands for accommodation, we need to move away from the model that consisted of giving individuals land because they cannot develop.

“We are happy to report that that in our discussions with the principals and the ministers, there is now an acceptance that we need to get away from that model,” said Mr Sakala.

He said he was not naive about the issue, insisting that infrastructure was one of contributors to the country’s competitiveness. Mr Sakala said existing infrastructure cannot support growth yet it is supposed to play a big enabling role in business.

“Infrastructure is our delivery platform that needs to be fixed. We cannot develop sustainably without addressing this. Economies that have shown serious growth are based on infrastructure,” Mr Sakala said.

He said IDBZ was committed to infrastructure development in the country and commended the latest project at Tokwe Mukosi dam.

Mr Sakala challenged businesses players to make choices and partner Government and local authorities in infrastructure development saying
that was how other countries developed.

He said the country does not need any new dam in the next five years but should concentrate on completing those that are between one and 99 percent complete.

@ncubeleon