Providing technical assistance to the Privatisation Agency of Zimbabwe
Developing the capacity of the Zimbabwe Privatisation Agency
At the end of the twentieth century, the Government of Zimbabwe was involved in a comprehensive programme of privatisation and commercialisation, with the aim of stimulating investment, reducing poverty and improving levels of human development.
In 1999, we were contracted by the Department of International Development to manage and deliver a new project within a given time-frame and to create optimum social impact. The project supported a wider economic and social reform project, ZIMPREST (Zimbabwe Programme for Economic and Social Transformation).
We assisted Zimbabwe’s Privatisation Agency in the co-ordination and execution of the government’s commercialisation and privatisation programme, and reinforced the Privatisation Agency’s long term institutional capacity.
The majority of the firms identified for privatisation and commercialisation operated in the agriculture sector (including dairy and cold storage), the manufacturing sector or banking sector.
However, soon after our appointment in 1999, there was a marked deterioration in the political climate in Zimbabwe and the scope of the project was reduced. We focused mainly on building the capacity of the employees of the Privatisation Agency in the various techniques required to carry out the programme, assisted in the design of privatisation, commercialisation and valuation procedures and practices, and assisted the Agency in developing a detailed implementation plan to carry out the programme. We also assisted in the recruitment for the Privatisation Agency, provided industry-specific advice and assisted in the implementation of an initial public awareness programme.
Despite the reduced scope and the difficult political environment, our team made good progress in developing the capacity of the Agency to undertake its tasks.
