The meeting brought together finance ministers, central bank governors and senior treasury officials from across the region to discuss financial integration, macroeconomic convergence, investment promotion and strategies to drive sustainable economic growth.
Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube emphasised the importance of the fund in reducing Southern Africa’s dependence on external financing and strengthening the region’s ability to fund its own development agenda. “The fund remains one of the most important instruments for mobilising resources for regional infrastructure, industrial productivity, climate-smart development and cross-border trade,” Ncube said.
He noted that the Regional Development Fund has the potential to play a transformative role in supporting priority projects across member states, particularly in sectors critical to regional integration and economic competitiveness.
Ncube urged member states to continue providing the political support and urgency required to make the fund fully operational. “It is therefore appropriate that we continue to give this matter the attention, urgency and political guidance it deserves,” he said.
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
