Elita Chikwati, Harare Bureau

LANDS, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri has urged parastatal boards to be innovative, “gear up” and shed the “business as usual” attitude to stimulate growth and sustainable development within the agriculture sector.

He said this when he met parastatal boards during a meeting at his Ngungunyana offices in Harare yesterday.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Ministers Vangelis Haritatos and Douglas Karoro, secretary Mr Ringson Chitsiko, directors from the ministry’s departments and the boards of parastatals under the ministry.

Minister Shiri said the agriculture sector occupied a central place in the realisation of Vision 2030 due to its role of food supply, employment creation, raising farm and non-farm incomes and poverty reduction.

“I acknowledge that the agriculture growth trajectory faces risks and challenges which include foreign currency and cash shortages, unsustainable high budgets and current account deficits, emerging inflation pressures, slow moving re-engagement processes and infrastructure deficiencies among other issues. 

“Let us all take bold decisions to stimulate growth and sustainable development within the agricultural sector. In this respect parastatals should be geared up to align to the reform processes,” he said.

The Minister expressed concern over losses being incurred due to bad governance and ineffective control mechanisms by parastatals and said this was a thing of the past in the Second Republic.

“In the Second Republic guided by Vision 2030 of becoming an Upper Middle Income Country and the Transitional Stabilisation Plan (2018-2020), it is no longer business as usual. The culture of taking ages to attend to pertinent issues will not be tolerated.

“I urge you boards of parastatals to come up with innovative ways that may include providing non-monetary incentives with a view to boosting the morale of the workforce.

“In 2016, 38 out of 93 audited State operated enterprises incurred a combined $270 million loss because of dislocated corporate governance practices and infective control mechanisms. It is my view that issues relating to corruption, under performance and failure to execute mandates should remain in the past and we start afresh in a manner consistent with the expectations of the Second Republic,” he said.

Minister Shiri urged parastatals to establish a platform to deal with updating and reviewing progress of set targets, discussing new initiatives and evaluating the impact of targeted interventions and coming up with proposals for reforms where necessary to better reach out to clients.

AMA board chairperson Mr Allen Majuru pledged to work hard towards the success of the authority and to ensure the agriculture sector plays a central role in the realisation of Vision 2030.

“We are not going to let down the nation. We will work hard to ensure we are equal to the task to achieve Vision 2030. 

“I urge board members to commit to serve the nation. Our economy is agro-based so we should not underestimate the task upon us,” he said.

TRB deputy chairperson Professor Florence Mutambanengwe said she will work towards addressing agriculture policy and the regulatory environment, agriculture value chain investment and innovation, research and development.