Parliamentary committee on finance critical of ‘Look East’ policy
By Tichaona Sibanda
7 December 2006

The influential Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development has strongly recommended that government abandon its ‘Look East’ policy. Coincidentally the Swedish ambassador to Zimbabwe has also called upon Robert Mugabe to mend relations with the International Monetary Fund.

The parliamentary committee chaired by David Butau, the Zanu (PF) MP for Guruve North, on Tuesday released a report urging the regime to normalise trade relations with Western countries. In a review of the 2007 budget presented to parliament last week, the committee warned the government it would pay a huge cost by cutting ties with the West.

The New Zimbabwe website reported that the committee recommended that Far East destinations be viewed as a market in its infancy and that the traditional market of the West should not be neglected as the nation moves towards regularising relations with the international committee.

On Wednesday Sten Rylander, the Swedish ambassador to Zimbabwe, told the media in Harare that the government must seize the chance and seek advice on how to haul the once vibrant economy back onto the rails.

The media quotes him saying; ‘The Zimbabwe government needs to take advantage of the visiting IMF mission and listen to the IMF and get advice on how to come out of the current nightmarish situation.’

An IMF team is in the country for a two week working visit to assess progress ahead of a crucial meeting early next year that will decide the country’s fate. But Bekithemba Mhlanga, a London based political analyst, said there is no chance the regime would push to normalise relations and abandon the look east policy.

‘Zanu (PF) seems to be pre-occupied with ensuring its survival and not the survival of Zimbabwe. The look east policy is nonsense. Nothing of material benefit has come out of that policy to help Zimbabweans. I agree totally when people say there has to be dialogue with the West, but the country needs to normalise relations with itself and its neighbours first before it starts thinking of normalising relations with the West,’ Mhlanga said.