HARARE, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the country's new five-year economic blueprint on Thursday, aiming to accelerate the country's transition into an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
Dubbed the 2026-2030 National Development Strategy (NDS 2), the plan succeeds the 2021-2025 National Development Strategy (NDS 1), which is set to conclude this year.
Anchored on 10 national priorities, Mnangagwa said at the launching ceremony that the NDS 2 seeks to consolidate gains achieved during NDS 1 and advance reforms to enhance competitiveness and reduce the cost and complexity of conducting business.
According to Mnangagwa, the NDS 2 aims to sustain a stable and predictable macroeconomic environment, accelerate value addition and beneficiation of agricultural and mineral commodities, develop a strong, modern and resilient infrastructure backbone across all sectors of the economy, as well as enhance food and nutrition security.
Other objectives are to promote a knowledge-driven and digitally enabled economy, equitable and inclusive national development, accelerate job creation, youth development and entrepreneurship, enhance social development, universal access to quality health, education and other social services, Mnangagwa said.
"To ensure that our communities benefit from our natural resource endowments, the strategy will prioritize industrialization, modernization, value addition and beneficiation, predominantly of agriculture and mineral commodities," he said.
He said the blueprint will also focus on the implementation of comprehensive interventions in energy, transport, information, communication and technology, water and sanitation, as well as housing development.
Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the NDS 2 introduces innovative measures to accelerate inclusive, sustainable and resilient economic transformation underpinned by enhanced monitoring and evaluation systems.
"Through prudent fiscal and monetary management, NDS 2 ensures a stable economic environment that supports investment, job creation, inclusive growth and equitable wealth distribution, while safeguarding the national currency and strengthening financial sector resilience," Ncube said. ■
