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Published: 29 October 2013

A study conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School says Zimbabwe has the potential to become the fastest growing economy in Africa by 2020.

The study by the American University titled, "The atlas of economic complexity-mapping paths to prosperity" says Zimbabwe can become the world's sixth growing economy in the next seven years behind China, India, Thailand, Belarus and Moldova.

The study was restricted to 128 countries which are said to account for 99 percent of world trade, 97 percent of the world's total gross domestic product and 95 percent of the world's population.

The atlas relies on international trade data which it argues is the only "data available that has rich detailed cross-country information linking countries to the products that they produce in a standardized classification."

The research though says this has limitations as it includes data on exports, and not production - among other weaknesses.

Chief economist Prosper Chitambara of the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe prosper said turning the potential to reality is Zimbabwe's major hurdle.
- voa

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