BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – “His Majesty’s Government remains committed to investing in the health, education, and skills of our people as drivers of long-term economic growth and poverty reduction.”
These were the words of Prime Minister Sipho Cleopas Dlamini when launching the World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with the Kingdom of Eswatini for the period 2024-2028.
According to a statement by Government, the CPF outlines the World Bank Group’s commitment to support Eswatini’s development goals.
Speaking at the launch at the Mbabane Hilton Inn Hotel today, the Prime Minister expressed that he believes the CPF will help Eswatini overcome some of its challenges and help the country build a more prosperous and inclusive Eswatini for all emaSwati, focusing particularly on empowering women and the youth.
“I am very confident in the WBG Eswatini Country Partnership Framework’s ability to provide the necessary support for our development goals and overcome the challenges we face. I believe that through our collaborative efforts, we can build a more prosperous and inclusive Eswatini for all emaSwati, focusing particularly on empowering women and the youth,” said the Prime Minister.
He added that this strategic framework holds great significance for Eswatini, given the array of challenges the country has encountered in recent years.
He noted that since 2018, the Government has undertaken substantial reforms to address long-standing economic difficulties, including sluggish growth, fiscal crises, high youth unemployment, pervasive poverty and inequality, and inadequate private investment.
“Regrettably, unforeseen events such as natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, followed by political unrests in June 2021, and more recently the war in Ukraine, have compounded the existing economic and social challenges confronting our Nation,” lamented the Prime Minister.
He also noted that in response to these formidable challenges, the Government released a new National Development Plan 2023-2027 (NDP) in December 2022, which serves as a guiding blueprint for Eswatini’s sustained recovery.
“With its focus on supporting our country’s transition from a public sector-driven growth model to a private sector-led approach, emphasising inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economic growth that is job-creating; while also emphasising Human Capital development, the alignment between the CPF and our NDP is quite seamless,” said the Prime Minister.
“Having been an early adopter of the World Bank Human Capital Project in 2019, His Majesty’s Government remains committed to investing in the health, education, and skills of our people as drivers of long-term economic growth and poverty reduction,” emphasised the Prime Minister.
According to the World Bank, Eswatini’s five-year Country Partnership Framework is centered around two high-level, long-term outcomes: increased private sector employment, and improved human capital development.
The first focuses on improving conditions for private sector competitiveness; growing medium, small and micro-enterprises; improving transparency, accountability, and fiscal sustainability; and increasing access to electricity services.
The second focuses on improving quality and retention in basic education; improving healthcare quality and coverage; and increasing access to water and sanitation, especially in regions which are falling behind.
