FORMER Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono says policy reviews and adjustments at any level of implementation are necessary to keep blueprints relevant. OBEY MANAYITI STAFF REPORTER
Gono, the Zanu PF Buhera Senator designate, was speaking in Mutare during a Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) awards ceremony for Manicaland chapter on Friday.
He said no policy was static and calls for reviews should not be viewed personally.
Gono’s comments came in the wake of reports that the government was in the process of reviewing the controversial Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, which is scaring away foreign investors by creating uncertainty in the economy.
The former central bank boss has been calling for a sober approach to the policy, warning that a one-size-fits-all approach would be detrimental to the country.
Gono told the ZNCC awards delegates that every blueprint should be flexible.
“Accordingly, blueprints or plans must never be static instruments of direction or power. When necessary and desirable they must be adjusted, they must be relooked at and remodelled to take in exigencies of the situation on the ground,” he said.
“It should never occur to anyone that the revision of a plan is a climbdown or a climb-up or that such a process must be personalised to read as victory for or defeat of anybody.
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“Neither should plan reviews or adjustments and enhancement be seen as a failure of a policy now or before,” Gono said, adding that when adjustments are made they should be progressive.
Gono said there was need to have a buy-in of the ZimAsset for the plan to work.
He, however, said it would be improper for him to go into details of the blueprint ahead of his successor at RBZ John Mangudya who has not made comments on ZimAsset lest he be accused of “poking his nose into other people’s jobs”.
Gono said for any blueprint to work there was need for a buy-in from everyone involved.
“All plans, be they economic, social, political, religious, family, district, provincial, national, regional, continental and international share one commonality if their objectives are to be realised,” he said.
“These objectives could be growth, profitability, expansion or prosperity objectives: They must be moved from paper to the ground. On the ground there must be buy-in and it is from this buy-in or lack of thereof that excitement is generated or lost.”
But Gono said while necessary, the “buy-in from the ground” was not a sufficient condition for achieving intended results.
“Other ingredients are needed to for success and these are the requisite technical expertise upon whose shoulders movement must take place,” he said adding that there should be sufficient resources to fund the programme.
Gono proposed the incorporation of religious leaders as key participants in the visioning process, the drawing up of plans, their implementation, evaluation and revision.
Meanwhile Samuel Tauya, proprietor of Golly Bakeries, won the Manicaland businessman of the year award.
