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Zimbabwe is headed for exciting times as evidenced by recent developments which have seen prices of many commodities being slashed. The trend is set to continue as companies respond to the availability of coins which has enabled them to charge real prices for commodities. Most prices were pegged at a $1 and above because of the non- availability of coins.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced bond coins to ease the problem of change hence many companies have started charging realistic prices. This is a positive development and a confirmation that our economy is on the road to recovery.

The turnaround, it has to be acknowledged, cannot be an overnight event but is a process which has got its own challenges. Economic analysts are confident that there is now some silver lining and what is important is for companies to strive to invest in new technologies in order to reduce production costs.

High production costs make locally produced commodities uncompetitive on the international market hence at times imports are cheaper than our own products.

We totally agree with Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa that the country is on the right path and soon the liquidity challenges the economy is facing will be a thing of the past. The prophets of doom, as expected, have painted a very gloomy picture of our economy despite these positive developments. The Zimbabwean economy is very resilient hence it has survived the many years of illegal sanctions.

What is encouraging is that the European Union has realised that the sanctions are not justified and has already started moves to normalise relations with Harare.

Zimbabwe is endowed with natural resources such as minerals, game, timber, gas and other such resources and what the country urgently requires is a cash injection.

Zimbabwe is discovering new riches in the form of mineral deposits and this could be the best time for foreign companies to invest in the country.

The government, on its part, should ensure the environment is conducive for investment and those involved in doing the paper work for investors should ensure they take the shortest possible time to do the work.

The issue of beneficiation is very critical so that the country can derive maximum benefits from the God-given resources. Exporting raw materials should be a thing of the past. The country should export semi-processed and even fished products.

This entails strengthening our manufacturing sector by investing in new technologies. The government has already sealed a number of deals with foreign investors that want to invest in the mining sector and it’s time these projects take off the ground.

What quickly comes to mind is the NewZim Steel project to revive Zisco which has taken long to implement. This is a very vital project whose implementation will have a huge impact on the economic turnaround.

Companies such as the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Hwange Colliery and many downstream industries will be back in business overnight once NewZim Steel resumes operations.

We want to commend companies that have positively responded to introduction of bond coins and implore others that are yet to respond to do so. Zimbabwe is definitely poised for economic growth and all that is needed is to create a conducive investment climate.