What is Zimasset ?

ZIMASSET: Questions without answers?

Following the recent introduction of Zimasset, I have so many questions on how the program can help the ordinary person on the street and how we as citizens can facilitate its implementation. No one is selling this program to the common people but I feel the selling points to the ordinary people are the eradication of poverty and corruption.

WHY NOT CARRY OUT A ROADSHOW ON ZIMASSET?

The government should carry out roadshows similar to the sanctions petition where ordinary people are told how Zimasset can be a tool for social and economic change. The roadshows will also highlight and articulate how corruption and poverty can be reduced if the policy is implemented.

People should be told of incentives on whistleblowing on corrupt activities. The government should be able to reward its citizens when they report cases of corruption; this will be an opportunity for the government to have permanent checks and control over public funds.

What is the role of government departments like Ministry of Information, Indigenization, and Women Affairs, Education and Youth in sensitizing the people under their respective portfolio on the pro and cons of Zimasset?

WHAT IS ZIMASSET TO THE POOR?

Is Zimasset the answer to poverty and economic development for Zimbabwe or it is just another talking topic in bars and other social gatherings like funerals and political rallies? Do we have the political will to tackle issues and implement?

What does it mean to the poor? Will it change their current situation or will it worsen it?

WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE UTILITIES?

How will Zimasset reduce rates to realistic levels?  What policies must be set in place to protect the public from extortionist and over staffed utilities?

Ideal rates and utility charges must be used as points of redistribution of wealth within a given economy. This calls for a fifth cluster on Public Utilities and Rates which will be able to have an oversight of charges being charged by other clusters.

 

 

WHAT WILL ZIMASSET DO TO PUBLIC SERVANTS AND THEIR JOBS?

There is a need to go to Ministries, departments and sections that generate and collect revenues and take a detailed study of their activities. This will enable us to match and link revenue generating activities and the desired result of a particular utility. This will also allow government to direct savings to targeted areas of need,

The people have another unanswered question; is the current performance appraisal system aligned to Zimasset?

The civil servants who have been grossly underpaid or overcharged by utilities must get his or her just compensation through realistic performance management systems that cascade to utilities under their departments.

Civil servants have carried the burden of utilities and the government must take bold steps to reward them for their diligence and resilience since the year 2000.Has Zimasset addressed the concerns of the civil servants?

HOW WILL ZIMASSET REDUCE CORRUPTION?

The above approach will be able to identify areas where resources have been diverted and are being mishandled. It is known that poverty is the principal cause of corruption, not vice versa as a nation we have accepted this and corruption in turn drives poverty levels up.

Can we as a nation break this cycle by implementing Zimasset, and take decisive action?

 The top two priorities for Zimasset should be to tackle corruption followed by poverty reduction. Corruption and poverty reduction should both be targeted and be treated as a security issue.

WHAT ARE ZIMASSET DELIVERABLES?

Zimasset is being implemented by the highest office in the country that means the government has prioritized Zimasset. My questions what are the OPIC deliverables? Is it how many corrupt people are arrested, a sharp drop in poverty level or double digit economic growth rate?

The above questions must have answers from the authors and architects of Zimasset. When the people know the deliverables and answers, then the government will be able to sell this noble program. Yes, we have it on paper now let us as a nation walk the talk.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edmore Mbuzana Mlambo is not a professional writer but just a blogger. You can follow him on twitter.com/mbuzana1 or read his common nonsense on this blog  or meet him on www.facebook.com/edmore.mbuzanamlambo or read aboutme.com/edmorembuzanamlambo.

Banking Ideas from an Entreprenuer to A Banker

A bank for entrepreneurs for entrepreneur is every business person’s dream. I looked on how this might become a reality for all those start-up. It is not a dream but bankers need to think like entrepreneurs and move to harness available technological advances. The challenge that the banker has always had are identification and authentication of borrower, security of money advanced, viability of the business and risks associated to a business venture. My approach is to unpack each of the challenges and offer solutions of how to overcome them.

IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF CLIENT

The identification and authentication of client is now easier thanks to an explosion in social media and amazing free web tools. With the advent of mobile technology mobile devices - and their applications - are being used widely in our economies to deliver information, gather and analyze data.

Banks can match and identify suppliers and control who gets paid by the entrepreneur and how much has been paid and for what service.

The solution is for banks to go mobile, that is adapting mobile technology for identification and authentication of potential entrepreneurs.

SECURITY OF MONEY ADVANCED

Mobile technology becomes an even more valuable asset in terms of security. This technology allows the bank to control disbursement, use of money in by the client and even have a say in payments to suppliers. The fact is mobile technology and the internet can actually change the way banks interact with the entrepreneur. Mobile technology will allow the banks and entrepreneur to stay connected therefore allow close monitoring of the monies advanced. In other words, mobile wallets can be controlled by both the banks and entrepreneurs.

The solution is to explore the mobile wallet options for disbursement of funds by both the banks and entrepreneurs.

VIABILITY OF PROJECT AND SCALABILITY

Banks should draw bankable proposals and let the entrepreneur  concentrate on selling his idea to the bankers. I strongly believe that banks are in a better position to give input to an entrepreneur’s proposal as they employ accountants, economists and other professional who understand finance better than the entrepreneur.

When banks match the entrepreneur’s needs by clearly defining what they expect from them and create an environment that enables business to grow. Proper financing of an entrepreneur’s idea will result in measurable scalability of any business.

My solution is let the bank draw the proposal and to let the entrepreneur sell his idea to the bank.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT

The entrepreneur would like the bank insure him or her venture. The bank should provide an insurance policy that covers all risks associated with his or her venture. I believe government should also act as a guarantor to new businesses to a certain extend.

I know the greatest risk to an entrepreneur is failure. Failure to start a business cannot be mitigated- it remains in you forever

The Mystery of the Closed Postal Boxes

Dear Mr. Postmaster General,

I hope you are still called by that name and you are alive and well. I hope you have survived all the changes, with all these tech startups and disruptors around you.

I do not know if you have paid attention about the pricing of your postal boxes as by my last counts there are so many boxes which are being offered by other players in your line of business. I understand that your market has reacted by not taking up your boxes.

You see people have been complaining about the cost of renting a postal box for a long time but you have ignored them. The price of beer has dropped! The price of basic commodities has dropped! Even the value of the Rand has fallen but you have steadfastly maintained your ridiculous pricing.

You and I know the price of those little numbered green boxes in the wall must be reduced in line with technological changes around us. Now we must agree to disagree, the boxes market is still there but the prices are too high! Why?

Can you explain to the public, who are your shareholders, why the prices are so high? I think most post-offices have reached their payback periods and the cost we want to cover is for the day to day running of the office. I mean we need to pay for the guy who sweeps the box, the box technician who repairs and maintain the boxes and maybe pay the guy in blue who supervises them. I am doing the explaining for you.

The public is the investors in the post offices and  they want the value of their money. Just in case you are not aware-time has changed. Technology dictates that you change too. Here are changes that have happened since 18 April 1980;

1.     There are boxes on the telephone, mobile phone, the personal computer and even in the cloud.

2.    These boxes are free and portable- they serve the purpose of the postal box.

S   As you can see there is a lot of boxes for the public.

So Mr. Postmaster can you listen now, give your postal boxes free and hope to increase your stamp sales other services. Silly?? 

Yours faithfully,
Edmore Mbuzana Mlambo

P.S. You are running a company owned by the public so let the public benefit !!

Budget Consultations- My One Billion Dollar Revenue Per Month Proposals

SECOND HAND MOTOR VEHICLES

 I propose that motor vehicles duty on second-hand cars should be lowered as the duty only serves to burden the poor as it makes transport expensive. We do not have the comparative advantage in the manufacturing of motor vehicles and the so-called motor vehicle manufacturing companies are importing kits which they assembly.

These companies in light of advancing technology and automation are never going to employ as much as they were employing in the seventies and eighties.

In short we do not have the motor industry to protect, and the notion that second-hand cars are a nuisance is an elitist one. The benefit of having more second-hand motor vehicles on our roads beat that of not importing as I shall highlight on my second proposal.

FUEL TAX

I propose that a fuel tax is charged per every liter of diesel and petrol. This will work as opposed to the one-time import duty on the second-hand vehicle. Every vehicle that is moving on our roads will be contributing to the fiscus; in short it means every vehicle registered or not, will become a revenue source that will contribute to the fiscus  on a daily basis. The more the merrier as the Englishman will say.

This tax is hard to invade and ease to collect and Zimra should have their supermarket machines at every service station and collect hard cash every morning.

 50%  EXCISE DUTY ON THE ALCOHOL

I propose that the excise duty is the same on imported beer and local beers as these are all manufactured by a cartel. Canned and bottled beer is being dumped in Zimbabwe and the importers should fund the fiscus. I propose 50% excise duty on a liter of beer, wine, and spirits.

Gonomics (the economics according to Gideon Gono) used to call these sin taxes let the sinners pay. The official smugglers (Multinational Corporations) and the unofficial smugglers pay the tax for their sins. Amen!!!

EXPORT PRE- INSPECTIONS

I propose that all exports be pre-inspected and valued before being shipped. I also propose that all companies that export and do not want their shipments inspected pay a refundable deposit of say $10 000 per consignment for exemption.

My proposal is in view of the rampant under-invoicing by multinational companies and former foreign-owned companies especially those in Manicaland