FOREWORD
Eradicating poverty is a top priority of Government‘s overall policy objective, which stems from the country’s development blue print, the ‘Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation’ (Zim Asset), October 2013-December 2018. Poverty eradication strategies and interventions have been embedded in all economic programmes Government has been implementing since the attainment of Independence in 1980.
The development of this Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Zimbabwe (IPRSP): 2016-2018 is yet another approach to mitigate poverty, consistent with Zim Asset. While Government has over the years, succeeded in halving the population in extreme poverty from 44 percent in 1995 to 22 percent by 2012, the general poverty had, as measured by the Total Consumption Poverty Line, remained relatively high, at over 70 percent.
Against this background, Government has formulated the I-PRSP, focussing on specific short term measures, but with long term impact on the livelihoods of the population, targeting particularly, the vulnerable segments of our society. The I-PRSP also seeks to promote and accelerate inclusive growth and poverty reduction through improved policies, consistent with the Zim Asset Vision: ‘Towards an Empowered Society and a Growing Economy’. In the formulation of this Programme, broad consultations were undertaken during the first half of 2016, culminating in the validation workshop held on 22 June 2016 in Harare.
These poverty reduction strategies from the whole process were then clustered together under the seven Pillars that anchor the I-PRSP. These pillars are:
PILLAR I: Agriculture Productivity, Growth and Rural Food Security
PILLAR II: Social Sectors
PILLAR III: Private Sector
PILLAR IV: Infrastructure
PILLAR V: Environment and Climate Change
PILLAR VI: Gender, Women and Youth Empowerment
PILLAR VII: Strengthening Governance and Institutional Capacity
A comprehensive report detailing findings from the consultative process is availed as a supplementary document to this I-PRSP under the title: Comprehensive Report on the I-PRSP Consultative Process’ and is available on the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development website: www.zimtreasury.gov.zw The I-PRSP will enable Government to prioritise resource allocation to the identified programmes and improve the livelihoods of the majority of the population. The success of this Programme will require all stakeholders, including Government, labour, civil society, business, development partners, and the Nation at large, to work together for the good of overall population.
The I-PRSP will be under implementation over the period to 2018, and is a precursor to the full Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) to be developed and anchored on a successor programme to Zim Asset. This process will facilitate sustained poverty eradication interventions to be clearly reflected in all our economic reform programmes.
