ZW$4.5 trillion budget: Mthuli Ncube castigates ministries for wanting more
Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has tabled a ZW$ 4.5 trillion 2023 budget against ZW$ 8.7 bids from ministries and government departments.
Addressing legislators during a budget presentation, Mthuli Ncube said ministries knew the budget funding ceiling but ignored it.
He said ministries must not only adhere to the Budget Strategy Paper and Budget Call Circular but must also prioritise their programs
“During the budget formulation processes, line Ministries submitted total bids of over ZWL$8.7 trillion, more than double the available envelope, presenting an allocation challenge.
“This is notwithstanding, a Budget Strategy Paper and Budget Call Circular with indicative ceilings for each MDA and an overall indicative available revenue collection of ZWL$3.4 trillion.
“Going forward, line Ministries are required to adhere to BSP and Budget Call Circulars ceilings when formulating expenditure proposals. This requires line Ministries to rigorously prioritise their projects and programs,” he said.
Budget vote allocations
Turning to the allocations the finance minister said the majority of the funds in the 2023 budget have been shared between ministries and independent Commissions.
“With regards to 2023 Budget Vote allocations, line Ministries and Independent Commissions have been allocated a total of ZWL$3.7 trillion, whilst Constitutional and Statutory Appropriation have been allocated ZWL$532.6 billion and loan repayments ZWL$248.6 billion bringing the total Budget to ZWL$4.5 trillion,” he said.
The budget does not come close to catering to the free education that was promised last year.
He has failed to even meet the Dakar Declaration on education where 20% of the budget should be allocated to education.
Minister Mthuli Ncube managed to allocate only 18.5% at a time when things are not well in the education sector. There are still schools in the country where classes are conducted under trees.
However, all hope is not lost, as legislators still have an opportunity to change the budget before it is passed.
ZW$4.5 trillion budget: Mthuli Ncube castigates ministries for wanting more
