UN General Assembly
1991

In my own country, Zimbabwe, we have been acutely aware of the fact that fostering growth and development remains primarily a national responsibility and that emerging circumstances require us to gird ourselves for international competition. Zimbabwe is implementing an economic reform programme, the main components of which are trade liberalisation; structural adjustment, including strict public expenditure control aimed at reducing the budget deficit; the decontrolling of prices and deregulation of the economy; and the creation of a domestic environment conducive to increased local and foreign investment, which should lead to an expansion of the economy and the generation of more employment opportunities for our people. This is an ambitious but realistic programme aimed at achieving sustainable economic growth, which enjoys the support of global financial and economic institutions. The programme requires some $16 billion over five years, of which $12 billion will come from within Zimbabwe itself, while $4 billion will be sought from external sources. In this regard, I take the opportunity to invite the international community to extend the necessary support for Zimbabwe's efforts to re-invigorate its economy.