|
Thematic Group on Economy and Employment During the 1999 UN Retreat in Nyanga it was decided that the
Thematic Group on Economy and Employment (TGEE) would be task oriented and focus
on (i) putting ZIMPREST back on track, with World Bank as the lead agency; (ii)
employment policy development, with ILO/SAMAT as lead agency; and (iii) private
sector development, with UNIDO as lead agency. These focus areas would be
underpinned by the promotion of social dialogue. ILO/SAMAT is chairing the TGEE
in 2000. This workplan has been prepared by the ILO based on contributions from
the lead agencies following the TGEE’s third meeting of 19 June 2000. 1.
Putting ZIMPREST back on track (Lead agency: World Bank)
The
Government’s Millennium Economic Recovery Programme (MERP) sets out the
framework for policies aimed at restoring economic stability and getting
ZIMPREST back on track. A set of policy measures underpinning the programme has
been approved by Cabinet and is to be implemented over the next six months. The
Bank and the Fund have provided comments on both the programme and measures. If
the conditions for productive engagement with the Government exist after the
elections, the Bank and the Fund would be willing to pursue dialogue with the
Government on these programmes and measures. The
UN Thematic Group on the Economy and Employment will participate in relevant
aspects of this dialogue, as well as in supporting analytical work which will
underpin it. The modus operandi for this participation will be worked out with
the Bank and the Fund. 2.
Employment policy development (Lead agency: ILO) The
development of a draft employment policy for Zimbabwe is undertaken in the
context of the umbrella Zimbabwe Employment Creation Act (ZECA) Programme which
will be finished by the end of 2000. Four components of this programme relate
directly to employment policy development:
3.
Private sector development (Lead agency: UNIDO) In the area of
private sector development the Thematic Group will focus its attention on the
following key issues:
SME
growth and employment generation:
An ongoing project aimed at strengthening manufacturing SMEs through the
promotion of and support to selected clusters could be expanded into a more
comprehensive effort of capacity building among SME service providers – a
process which in both the short and the long term would benefit from a concerted
co-operative effort of several Thematic Group members, notably UNDP and FAO.
Awareness creation and consensus building seminars and workshops of all major
national stakeholders could be organised. Another
potential area of co-operation is the present support of ILO to the finalisation
of a national Small Enterprise Development policy. Investment
promotion: In the area of
investment promotion, the Thematic Group could identify obstacles to the
attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the macroeconomic and policy
sphere and devise initiatives for removing such obstacles. These activities
would be undertaken in consultation with other donors within the core group on
policy and structural adjustment credits. Public-private sector
partnerships: The promotion and facilitation of public-private
sector dialogue – and indeed dialogue among all stakeholders to economic and
industrial growth – under the umbrella of the Alliance for Africa’s
Industrialisation will be given special attention in the context of the joint UN
initiative of support to the National Economic Consultative Forum (NECF). |