By CHUSA SICHONE –
THE Ministry of Finance has set aside K648.5 million for employers’ share of statutory obligations for all civil servants.
The amount is part of the total K1.7 billion which the Ministry of Finance has budgetd to accelerate the country’s development agenda.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda said in a Policy Statement in Parliament on Wednesday that other notable expenditure included K463.3
million as grants to support institutions such as the Zambia Revenue Authority, Zambia Public Procurement Authority, National Road Fund Agency, Financial Intelligence Centre and Revenue Appeals Tribunal, among others.
Mr Chikwanda said his Ministry had also set aside K648.5 million for employers’ share of statutory obligations for all civil servants, K50 million for dismantling arrears accumulated by Government Ministries prior to 2002 as well as K102.7 million for the Public Financial Management Reforms.
Mr Chikwanda said the allocation to the Public Financial Management Reforms was in line with Government’s commitment to strengthen public financial management, adding that major reforms would be undertaken under that programme.
Of the proposed K7.2 billion expenditure, K1.8 billion had been set aside for the recapitalisation and investment of Government institutions under which K378.8 million was meant for the recapitalisation of state owned enterprises and the creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund.
A total of K85.7 million had been set aside for the payment of contributions to regional and international organisations, K600 million for electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.
A further K500 million for infrastructure in newly created districts and Province as well as K214.8 million meant for projects like the Citizens Economic Empowerment Fund, Cancer Diseases Hospital phase II project and Youth Skills Training and Development, among others.
United Party for National Development Bweengwa Member of Parliament Highvie Hamududu said while he was supporting the Ministry of Finance’s budget, the country could have a hardworking Minister like Mr Chikwanda but that there were structural issues.
Mr Hamududu observed that the Patriotic Front Government’s budget under the stewardship of Mr Chikwanda had doubled since it assumed power but that there were deficiencies in the implementation process.
Alliance for Democracy and Development Luena lawmaker Mulumemui Imenda also supported the vote and commended the Ministry of Finance for building ZRA’s capacity to monitor the mines as the country had in the past lost revenue from those firms.
Ms Imenda, however, urged the Ministry of Finance to “jack up” its supervisory role to avoid mismanagement of public resources, adding that the Ministry should also ensure that the CEEC resources were administered objectively and not using the Commission as a “tool for political manipulation.”