Bullish Thoughts: Zimbabweans enemies of their own industries Part II

John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States is famous for his saying: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

In this period of economic stagnation and apparent backward movement, Zimbabweans find themselves at financial & political crossroads and asking a lot of questions.

Bullish Thoughts discussed at length with a number of colleagues across various facets of the economy on whether or not Zimbabweans should "Ask not what Zimbabwe can do for you - ask what you can do for Zimbabwe"

The discussions were premised on the prognosis that BUY ZIMBABWE campaign was and is literally the practical way left to save various manufacturing industries from the financial abyss.

Sometimes it is easier to point and criticize the next person than to accept our own contribution. Business leaders in particular have been guilty of this in running our businesses blaming so called antiquated equipment, low liquidity etc while leaving in excesses!

Zimbabweans are educated enough to create positive change. Zimbabweans rejected the Zim dollar when it became worthless and way before Acting Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa made it official and Zimbabweans can therefore make appropriate decisions now otherwise they will not be doing current and future generations any favors.

We are being challenged to become each one of us a voluntary BUY Zimbabwe Advocate and if we can get this message to enough people (particularly women since men generally stay away from the supermarkets) we can at least improve the situation.

Imagine if BUY ZIMBABWE could be allowed to address the people various Cathedrals for Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, DRCZ on Sundays, congregants at ZAOGA, Makandiwa’s UFI and Pastor Angel’s Spirit Embassy and also various AFM Assembles congregations plus Mapostori, what will be consumed tonight by the 14 million people is enough to create

thousands of jobs.

Buying Zimbabwean Products is the biggest stimulus package. BUY Zimbabwe should also be the focus of the fiscal policy and the various strategies by CZI, ZNCC and CCZ.

Bullish Thoughts appreciates the concerns of the bargain hunters. Many would prefer to buy local products but price becomes a key factor in a place of falling disposable incomes. Therefore there is need for the producers to meet consumers halfway in the short term. All Zimbabweans (producers & consumers) need to make sacrifices if industries & jobs are to be saved and created.

The producers must forego a portion of margins while consumers forego a portion of savings they get from buying cheap imports.  Consumers can't give manufacturing industries executives money to buy Mercs at their own expense.

Certainly consumers wouldn't mind buying Olivine Cooking Oil at $4.40 if Delite is at $3.99 as is the case right now. But if Olivine is to peg the cooking oil at $5.50 then “hapana dhiri”. Bullish Thoughts noticed that consumers still buy Jade soap because it’s of quality and fairly priced

 Bullish Thoughts therefore challenges the producers of various consumer goods to come with quality products, priced and packaged fairly correctly. If they do that, consumers will certainly BUY Zimbabwe products from them.

Bullish Thoughts appreciates that consumers rarely look at who is selling (under any operating environment), that consumers are not emotional about the identity of the seller. They are spending their hard earned cash and they deserve the best product.

No One wants to carry the whole nation by subsidizing inefficiencies in the manufacturing sector!!

What Bullish Thoughts heard from the consumers is that producers should also be willing to meet halfway and not always focus on price increases either implied (reduced contents in packets) or direct!

BUY WISELY! BUY ZIMBABWE during the next 35 days and create jobs in our Proudly Zimbabwean Country!!

Parting Shot: What the market requires of SEC...

Bullish Thoughts wishes to say to SEC that Capital Markets integrity will also be promoted through:-

• ·         Mandatory Cautionary Statements for appalling financial results
• ·         Investigation of potential insider trading
• ·         Penalties against auditing firms that pass through faulty and misleading financial statements.
• ·         Disclosures of Directors Dealings as and when they happen