A
abujagirl
Guest
Zimbabwe on Wednesday asked for financial support from the West for the first time in a decade at a meeting of Western diplomats and international lenders.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa made the request at a gathering which included diplomats from the U.S. and the European Union.
Western nations, who accused President Robert Mugabe's government of election rigging and human rights abuses, have restricted funding to charities since 2002. But Zimbabwean government officials met Western ambassadors and representatives from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) in Harare to discuss direct budgetary support.
''As we go forward and as we successfully build trust among ourselves, we can in future channel development assistance through the vote of credit (budget). With that, we can plan more effectively and more efficiently,’’ Chinamasa said.
Donors, who fund health, agriculture and governance projects through UN agencies, have pledged 468 million dollar to Zimbabwe this year, down from 737 million dollar in 2014.
The EU this year gave Zimbabwe 234 million Euros after lifting sanctions in November, the first time the bloc has given cash to Mugabe's government since imposing sanctions in 2002. Report says Zimbabwe is one of a few developing countries that fund its budget entirely from taxes because it does not qualify for international credit due to a foreign debt of nine billion dollars.
#Zimbabwe #Mugabe
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa made the request at a gathering which included diplomats from the U.S. and the European Union.
Western nations, who accused President Robert Mugabe's government of election rigging and human rights abuses, have restricted funding to charities since 2002. But Zimbabwean government officials met Western ambassadors and representatives from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) in Harare to discuss direct budgetary support.
''As we go forward and as we successfully build trust among ourselves, we can in future channel development assistance through the vote of credit (budget). With that, we can plan more effectively and more efficiently,’’ Chinamasa said.
Donors, who fund health, agriculture and governance projects through UN agencies, have pledged 468 million dollar to Zimbabwe this year, down from 737 million dollar in 2014.
The EU this year gave Zimbabwe 234 million Euros after lifting sanctions in November, the first time the bloc has given cash to Mugabe's government since imposing sanctions in 2002. Report says Zimbabwe is one of a few developing countries that fund its budget entirely from taxes because it does not qualify for international credit due to a foreign debt of nine billion dollars.
#Zimbabwe #Mugabe
