By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Ambassador of the European Union H.E Jobst von KIRCHMANN on Wednesday reiterated that the bloc does not have any sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe calling on private sector to push for more investment and trade.
He was speaking at a high-profile EU Private Sector Dialogue Seminar in Harare attended by representatives from EU businesses with a presence in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe private sector players, key Zimbabwean private sector organizations (CZI, ZNCC, WABAZ, NBCZ), banker associations (BAZ), investment promotion agency (ZIDA), and trade promotion agency (ZimTrade).
“I think basically, we do not allow our companies to export arms into Zimbabwe but we don’t have any sanctions against Zimbabwe and we do not have any other form of sanctions against people or against trade,” he said.
“But I also believe this investment of European countries is about something more important. And really, the reason why we’re organizing this seminar is so that, what we do today, we have a European European Summit.”
Ambassador von KIRCHMANN said while they invite European companies from member states to come and invest in Zimbabwe it was up to the government to create a conducive environment.
“The second thing is on the governments. The government has put forward proposals to say, we want, including with our own national strategy, to improve the work done on this. And the government has put forward proposals to say we would like to move forward on the consequences of the land reform, including privatizations.
“This will globally improve many areas. It’s a process which goes far beyond the risk levels, because it could, in fact, create a much more stable investment plan. There, it will also attract many more companies to come to you,” he said.
Ambassador von KIRCHMANN said in future they would hold seminars which focus on investment climate calling on private sector to work with the government.
“And I think that we have to work together to improve the investment priority and to make it so that the other ones are coming. And that’s what we are aiming for. That’s why I was saying at the end of the session today, I think one of the future seminars that should be allowed in the investment climate,” he said
“That’s why I think private sector should take an active role in that. The active role is to close all the forces that are just pulling on the way by resisting and suppressing them. And so far, I must say, I’ve seen very little by the time the divorce thing was over, the process.”
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