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Blessings Chidakwa, Midlands Bureau
GOVERNMENT has started rolling out provincial consultative and sensitisation workshops on the formulation of Zim-Asset 2 to ensure the continued success of the economic blueprint across the country.

A delegation led by the Ministry of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion and Office of the President and Cabinet held the first consultations in the Midlands Province at a two day workshop, which started yesterday in Gweru.

Principal Director, Economic Planning and Modelling in the Ministry of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Mr Taguma Mahonde, addressed the gathering of Government, private and civic society representatives during the workshop.

The consultative meetings are aimed at capturing views from all sectors of the economy in the formulation of the Zim-Asset 2.

“We have so far engaged 14 critical sectors of the economy to input their contributions and we are now cascading down to all the country’s 10 provinces in order to engage all the relevant stakeholders. Last time there were concerns that a few consultations were done regarding Zim-Asset 1 but this time we are engaging all the concerned sectors so that we come up with another sound document,” said Mr Mahonde.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Dr Judith Kateera, addressed the same workshop. She noted that while the first phase of Zim-Asset 1 was ending in 2018- Government had started engaging stakeholders so that there would be a smooth transition.

“We will still do a concluding report on the first Zim-Asset at the end of 2018, but as part of good planning we have now started taking the second part of it in small phases,” said Dr Kateera.

The first Zim-Asset is spearheading the turnaround and development of the economy. It is aligned to Zanu-PF’s 2013 winning election manifesto and identifies clusters, which include food security and nutrition, social services and poverty reduction, infrastructure and utilities and value addition and beneficiation.