NEW ZIMBABWE – A DIPLOMAT at the American Embassy in Harare says U.S. sanctions are not a factor in Zimbabwe’s relations with multi-lateral lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

“There never has been any connection between U.S. sanctions and Zimbabwe’s  relationship with the IMF,” James Garry, Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy, told journalists at a roundtable discussion on Wednesday.

Garry explained that even if the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) was to be repealed today, Zimbabwe would still not be able to access loans because of its arrears with the multi-lateral lenders.  Arrears made Zimbabwe ineligible for loans even before ZDERA became law in December 2001.

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