GOVERNMENT has established direct contact with the Swiss government through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring development assistance to Zimbabwe, a government official has said.
Tarisai Mandizha Business Reporter
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said: “The idea of this negotiation is to conclude a MoU basically to commit ourselves to direct contact and provision of development assistance and they are committed to travel that path.
“As you know, our aid co-ordination architecture also entails development assistance being provided through a vote of credit and this is to ensure that aid goes to the purpose of which it is provided and that there is transparency in the use of that aid and also to satisfy the taxpayers from whose pocket that development assistance is coming from. This is also to ensure and enhance accountability and avoid any duplication of efforts in terms of projects or development assistance.”
He said the Swiss government was currently providing development assistance in the areas of health and agriculture and last year a Swiss delegation was in Zimbabwe to visit some of their development projects.
“We hope to conclude the MoU on the basis of the Paris Declaration with the essential elements to encourage direct contact between a development partner and a recipient country such as we are, as well as support the building of institutional capacity to handle any development assistance that may be provided to us. Basically, it encourages transparency, accountability and minimises duplication of aid efforts,” he said.
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