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Minister Patrick Chinamasa

Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
THE Government has pledged to live within its means in a bid to reduce poverty which remains at over 70 percent among the country’s population.

According to Treasury’s Zimbabwe Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, there will be belt tightening in government.

“In order to maintain macro-economic stability, Government will continue to exercise prudence in fiscal management, primarily by spending within its means. Whilst current civil service reforms will continue to be implemented to rationalise the wage bill, there will also be gradual expenditure,” said the paper.

It said The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development will pay attention to pro-poor programmes and projects since poverty is a major challenge for most Zimbabweans.

The programmes would be complemented by increasing fiscal accountability and transparency in the use of public resources, which will result in improved efficiency in public sector administration.

In the foreword to the paper, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said eradicating poverty is the Government‘s top overall policy objective.

“Poverty eradication strategies and interventions have been embedded in all economic programmes Government has been implementing since the attainment of Independence in 1980. The development of this Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Zimbabwe (IPRSP): 2016-2018 is yet another approach to mitigate poverty, consistent with Zim Asset,” he said.

He said the Government has over the years succeeded in halving the population in extreme poverty from 44 percent in 1995 to 22 percent by 2012.

“The general poverty had, as measured by the Total Consumption Poverty Line, remained relatively high, at over 70 percent.

“Against this background, Government has formulated the I-PRSP, focusing on specific short term measures, but with long term impact on the livelihoods of the population, targeting particularly, the vulnerable segments of our society.”

@thamamoe.