Harare (New Ziana) – Devolution project funding got a big shot in the arm in the 2022 national budget with an allocation of $45.5 billion, more than twice that allocated in this year’s budget.
In the 2021 national budget, devolution was allocated $19.5 billion.
Presenting the 2022 national budget, Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube said to date, devolution funds had been put towards critical interventions for communities centered on upgrading education, health facilities and roads.
“As part of ensuring inclusive growth through equitable economic development across all the regions of the country, the Government will advance the implementation of the devolution agenda in line with the Constitution.
“Critical interventions have been mainly centered on rehabilitation and upgrading of education and health facilities, drilling and equipping of boreholes, upgrading of water sources including treatment plants and sanitation facilities, as well as upgrading of roads infrastructure and procurement of requisite equipment.
“Under the 2022 budget, ZWL$42.5 billion has been allocated for inter-governmental fiscal transfers (Devolution), consistent with the Constitutional requirement,” he said.
Out of the 2021 allocation of ZWL$19.5 billion for devolution, about ZWL6.3 billion has so far been disbursed.
” Notwithstanding the fiscal limitations, resources amounting to ZWL$6.3 billion were availed under the programme which were deployed towards implementation of the above cited projects,” he said.
The devolution agenda, reintroduced under the Second Republic, allows provincial governments to determine how they will use their resources and budgets as opposed to waiting for handouts from central government.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has since committed to intensifying the devolution program to ensure previously under-developed areas catch up with the rest of the country.
New Ziana