The ManicaPost
Ambassador Mary Mubi
Kudzanai Gerede : Business Correspondent
Government, through the Department of Public Affairs and Knowledge Management in the Office of President and Cabinet, will in a few weeks launch its web portal online.It is the first step towards e-governance as it seeks to achieve transparency in its day-to-day businesses, with particular interest in dispelling negative governance perceptions hindering investment into the country, a senior official has revealed.
The country has seen investment figures declining as a result of negative portrayal of governance issues which scare away investors and the web portal is expected to be the official entry point to all Government ministries and departments at a time when a strict corporate governance circular is being implemented in all public offices to bring confidence in the public sector.
In an interview with Business Post, Director in the Department of Public Affairs and Knowledge Management in the Office of the President and Cabinet Ambassador Mary Mubi said most African Governments had not embraced the concept of openness with various publics, which was a turn off for investors who are more interested in public office transparency in economies they invest their capital.
“In a few weeks, Government through my office is going to launch a web portal, which will be an entry pint to all ministries and Government departments.
“We need to be open in order to be taken seriously by those who want to invest in this country.
“A Government web portal is the only platform Government can put its official statement on issues that may be misconstrued in the public discourse and for Zimbabwe, it is a great asset to have considering the negativity about us which has bruised investor confidence in the local economy,” Ambassador Mubi said.
Zimbabwe needs over $8 billion to retool its dilapidated industrial machinery according to the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and much of it is expected to come from external partners as local businesses currently do not have the capacity to reserve such huge figures to invest in machinery.
Government has opened most of its state enterprises and parastatals to external investment partners in its drive to resuscitate these enterprises which once accounted for than 30 percent of Government revenue during their peak in the early 1990s.
Earlier this year, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Patrick Chinamasa identified 10 key parastatals which needed urgent resuscitation in order to kick start the country’s industrial agenda but investment has not been forthcoming and analysts have argued that lack of transparency in the parastatals have been stalling interested partners.
Last year, the Auditor-General’s report suggested that most state enterprises and parastatals did not submit their books of accounts and cited gross malpractices in corporate governance in most state institutions.
The web portal is therefore expected to furnish the public on key corporate governance issues in public offices and strict surveillance will complement the portal.
Government has been commended for embracing the digital platforms, which speak to a wider audience outside the country’s borders at a time it is looking for foreign direct investment, particularly in the proposed Special Economic Zones.
Earlier this year, Government launched its first e-commerce platform, the Zimbabwe Trade Information Portal (TIP), which provides unfettered access to both internal and external markets for local business players to enhance trade and at the same time proffer locally available investment opportunities to international investors with the aim of boosting lean export receipts.
