Business News

Photo by: Fredrick Onyango

The launch of Vision 2030 yesterday. The plan can be achieved by building on competitive sectors of our economy such as agriculture and  tourism.

June 11, 2008: �Failure to plan is planning to fail� so goes the famous saying. This is one of the key things the Government must have realised to come up with the country�s vision �Vision 2030, Transforming National Development,�  which was launched yesterday.

The goal is to be a �middle income country providing high quality life for all its citizens by the year 2030� to be in league with the Asian Tigers. As they say, the aim is not unprecedented, many countries have done it� Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, so why not Kenya?

Why not indeed seems to be the question. The plan was established by a committee of experts from diverse fields who consulted with people in different areas.

The vision is considered SMART and specific, measurable and time bound. Is it attainable and realistic? That remains to be seen and is the question majority would like an answer to.

The vision is held by three pillars of social, political and economic aspirations. Thus the key results to be achieved from the vision are; a just and cohesive society enjoying equitable social development in a clean and secure environment, issue-based, people centred, results oriented and accountable democratic political system and a sustained economic growth rate of 10 per cent per annum.

This would be achieved through building on our competitive advantage in key sectors of the economy such as agriculture and the tourism sector and is to be implemented in successive five-year medium term plans with the first such plan covering the period 2008 � 2012.

This is an  ambitious goal but the Government is confident that Kenyans will rise to the challenge as they have done often before.

Delivering these ambitious growth aspirations will require a rise of national savings from about 17 per cent in 2006 to about 30 per cent in 2012, dealing with a significant informal economy that employs 75 per cent of the country�s workers.

It will also deal with poor infrastructure, high energy costs, unemployment, inequality, rapid urbanisation and the rising rate of inflation.

Is it realistic to say that all these can change come the year 2030? Can we truly achieve a growth rate GDP of 10 per cent per annum for the next 25 years? Kenya�s growth rate rose from two per cent to six per cent from year 2002 to 2007.

What is so hard about reaching 10 per cent? In every sector there are specific five year medium term goals to be reviewed as we move to the next five year period.

For most of the Asian tigers their growth rates were an average of six per cent .Even if we can manage that consistently Kenya will be much better off 25 years down the line.

Many have wondered what has caused the Asian Tigers to grow at such a high rate but the underlying factor, apart from just having a plan is the confidence the leaders have managed to instill in the people that they can make it.

This coupled with initiative, dreams, entrepreneurship, wisdom and persistence are the main driving forces for such phenomenonal growth. The key factor lies in the faith and hope that people have �but it all has to start with our leaders.

Between 1990 and 2002 Kenya witnessed the GDP growth declining to 1.9 per cent. After the year 2002, Kenyans believed there would be a change the motivation and faith that their dreams would be realised.

This kind of zeal has diminished and when faith dies, so does enterprise. The greatest challenge is first to rekindle the hope and faith of Kenyans more so after the skirmishes of the past elections. As one writer put it �Wealth is not limited to physical resource but human creativity.��

Secondly, it is up tor our leaders and everyone to realise that we are not competing for just a piece of the pie, such that some must win and others lose. We have adapted to the adage, �survival for the fittest� yet we should work as a team to grow the economy and benefit one another.�not every man seeking to fulfil his selfish interest.

The maxim, �You can have anything you want if you help enough other people get it� should be our new motto� working as a team and seeking the benefit of others.

When all is said and done, we should have a situation where the rich get richer but also the poor get better. The plan is a step in the right direction but if it remains just a plan then it Is of no benefit to anyone.

Jackie is a consultant with PKF Consulting Limited. Views are of the writer and not PKF. Comments welcome at jnderitu@ke.pkfea.com.