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THE country’s much vaunted economic blueprint — the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation — requires the collective efforts of all Zimbabweans to succeed and as such unity of purpose is key to ensuring that the programme achieves its desired goals.

Since the promulgation of the blueprint in October 2013, the country has witnessed a number of milestones in key areas of Zim-Asset despite the lack of financial resources to fully implement the four main clusters of food security and nutrition, social services and poverty eradication, infrastructure and utilities as well as value addition and beneficiation.

The government has already made it clear that it cannot fund the implementation of Zim-Asset on its own and has called on the private sector to play an important role in sourcing money for the blueprint which requires a total of $27 billion to be a success. This year alone, $12 billion is needed to finance development projects under Zim-Asset with the private sector expected to weigh in with 80 percent of the required funding.

We urge the private sector to play its role in funding Zim-Asset programmes especially in the value addition and beneficiation sector and agriculture — one of the key areas requiring massive funding so that the country can develop a robust farming sector and achieve food security. We highlighted on these pages yesterday the milestones achieved so far under Zim-Asset and the need to forge ahead with full implementation of the blueprint.

A workshop on the development of the Zim-Asset communication strategy in Harare on Wednesday heard how under value addition and beneficiation, notable improvements had been registered with the formerly closed David Whitehead factory in Chegutu and Archer Shirt Factory in Bulawayo now back in business.

Elsewhere, the Bata Shoe Factory in Gweru is now operating at over 60 percent capacity utilisation, while some chrome smelting companies in the Midlands, such as Zimasco and ZimAlloys are now poised for growth in the wake of the temporary lifting of the ban on chrome exports. Under the Information Communication Technology sector, more than 11 flagship projects are ready for launch in the areas of e-learning; e-passport; e-visa application; e-medicine; e-company registration; e-procurement, e-liquor licensing, e-mining prospecting licensing and e-land application.

A high performance computing system has been put in place at the University of Zimbabwe to facilitate the implementation of quick-wins in a number of economic endeavours such as mining exploration, meteorological forecasting and monitoring of climatic changes, land surveying, drought monitoring and crop assessment and other strategic uses.

Under utilities and infrastructure, the expansion of the Kariba South Hydro Power Station; expansion of the Hwange Thermal Power Station; rehabilitation and broadening of the Plumtree-Harare-Mutare highway and construction of tollgates are underway.

Under the Food Security Cluster and Nutrition, important initiatives include the provision of support for small scale farmers through irrigation development programmes and supply of agricultural machinery through programmes such as the Brazil/Zimbabwe More Food For Africa Programme.

There is also the provision of support for small and medium enterprises through the recapitalisation of Sedco and the availing of mining equipment to artisanal miners as well as the provision of various equipment and medicines to the country’s referral, provincial and district hospitals under the $89 million China Eximbank facility.

We hail these achievements and call on Zimbabweans to rally behind the government as it continues to implement Zim-Asset. We also urge the private sector and other funding partners to heed First Lady Grace Mugabe’s counsel that the success of Zim-Asset lies solely in the hands of Zimbabweans.

Speaking in Kadoma on Wednesday, Cde Mugabe said it was through good infrastructure that the country could attract investors. “We can reach that point. The private sector, like we’re witnessing today, is key to the development of this country. We develop things on our own and we don’t look up to foreigners because if you see them coming, they are coming to loot our resources,” she said, speaking at the commissioning of earth moving equipment worth $3 million and a ground-breaking ceremony for the Macsherp Housing Scheme.

We applaud the First Lady’s comments and exhort Zimbabweans to pool their resources and work hard to ensure the success of Zim-Asset.