By Wisdom Mumera.
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – Zimbabwe offers a safer business operating environment than most Sub-Saharan African (SSA) states as the country enjoys stable relations with its neighbours and is not a target for international terrorists a Business Monitor International (BMI) analysis report says.
The country also enjoys comparatively low levels of violent crime. The Fitch Group research institution however says they exists minimal danger in petty criminal issues and a flare-up of political violence in times of elections.#
“The main security risk to investors in Zimbabwe stems from the threat of political violence which tends to flare up around election periods”.
“Current succession battles within the ruling ZANU PF party have contributed negatively to political stability in Zimbabwe and we have seen a premature spike in political violence with different factions engaging in clashes countrywide in 2015”, it says.
The institution adds that while foreign workers and travellers are exposed to petty theft and burglars, crime affecting business such as cyber and financial crime is low.
Concerning the current economic state of the country the group says business face a myriad of risks stemming from corruption and a large bureaucratic burden.
This has had the resultant effect of lowering the country’s competitiveness relative to its Southern Africa neighbours such as Zambia and, to a greater extent South Africa.
“Other salient threats include poor access to utilities, notably water and power, as well as insecure property rights to property for foreign businesses”.
“Moreover the quality of Zimbabwe’s health care sector has declined considerably over the last decade, thereby contributing to poor health within the labour force”, it says.
The local government has been slowly working to graft back a stable and cordial relations with international investors as it seeks to grow back its crippled economy.
Results have been strong with agreements with international financial institutions such as IMF and the World Bank signalling a swaying Western perspective pertaining to the country.
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