... COMPREHENSIVE GROWTH STRATEGY URGENTLY NEEDED

MBABANE – Eswatini will not meet its aspirations by maintaining the status quo or by adopting unidimensional growth strategies.

The World Bank Group has indicated that in order to turn things around, Eswatini requires a comprehensive growth strategy to meet its development aspirations, through policies that increase investment, enhance human capital and productivity. It calls for support of business development, investment, technology use, skills improvement, better access to finance, market expansion and public sector reform, with a focus on digital services, eco-tourism, and agribusiness. In the World Bank blog, the Vice President of the World Bank for Eastern and Southern Africa, Dr Victoria Kwakwa, said findings in the report were consistent with the support the World Bank has provided, in crucial intervention areas, to bolster Eswatini’s development.

Economies

Dr Kwakwa added Reliable energy was among the essential building blocks of productive economies. She said Eastern and Southern Africa accounts for more than half of the world’s unelectrified population (675 million). Dr Kwakwa said the pace of electrification in the region must triple to achieve universal electricity access by 2030. She said among those without access were some of the poorest people in Eswatini’s least developed regions, Lubombo and Shiselweni. She stated that as reflected in the Country Partnership Framework, the bank and government have prioritised the development of these areas.

“I am looking forward to visiting Shiselweni to see the impact of the Network Reinforcement and Access Project (NRAP), implemented by the Eswatini Electricity Company. Over 4 000 people have been connected to the grid, contributing to the total of 132 016 utility customers countrywide. The project includes installation of innovative ‘ready boards’, which provide metering and power outlets in homes, without the need to instal household wiring,” she said.

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