The Zimbabwe Economic Policy Analysis and Research Unit (ZEPARU) is undertaking a study on assessment of the macroeconomic policy formulation and implementation processes in Zimbabwe. The study’s main objective is to assess the current economic policy making and implementation processes.
NANGO, as a critical stakeholder in the macroeconomic policy formulation and implementation processes, made a presentation on the need to raise awareness and increase public participation in policy formulation, avail key policy documents to the public and strengthen oversight institutions.
The Corruption Perception Index indicates that Zimbabwe scored of 22 points out of a hundred and ranks 157 least corrupt nation out of 175 countries. It must be appreciated that public participation and transparency in macroeconomic policy formulation and implementation can help improve credibility of government.
NANGO recommends that in order to improve macroeconomic policy formulation and implementation processes the government should put in place platforms for participation by ordinary citizens like pre-budget consultations by both parliament and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Empowerment.
Platforms for dialogue should allow for participation of marginalised groups, venues should be accessible for people with disabilities, dates should accommodate children in schools and policy makers should access the hard to reach areas all in the spirit of leaving no one behind. Notices should be given in time and sufficient information on the objectives of the meeting should be communicated so that citizens prepare themselves.
Parliament and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Empowerment should utilize social media and feedback from website postings to get real time input from citizens.
The Zimbabwean government should also increase availability of key policy documents to the public. Websites should be used as a platform for publishing information. There should also be mechanisms and partnerships that enable reach to remote areas.
Information should be packaged in a way that is citizen friendly and can be understood by the general public as with citizen budgets. The information should be published in time for citizens to add their input in the process. Government is discouraged from publishing the proposed budget document after it has been approved.
NANGO also noted that the auditor general and parliament’s capacity to play its oversight role in the macroeconomic policy formulation and implementation should be enhanced. There is need to identify best practices in ensuring that the auditor general’s office is independent from the government. Another strategy that NANGO recommended as a way of strengthening oversight institutions is identifying challenges, even within current legislation, being faced by the auditor general’s office in playing its oversight role effectively.
The inception workshop for the study was held at Holiday Inn Hotel on 17 April 2018 and its purpose was to raise awareness and to gather insights of key players on how the study can address challenges in the macroeconomic policy formulation and implementation processes in Zimbabwe. The study to be conducted by ZEPARU is funded by the African Capacity Building Foundation.
