The 2022 budget will focus on resuscitation of stalled projects, completion of ongoing projects, rehabilitation, and upgrading of infrastructure in critical sectors such as transport, water, and sanitation, health, education, energy, ICT, and housing, Finance Minister told Members of Parliament at a budgetary seminar.
Ncube said the advent of the new dispensation, has seen a number of stalled and new projects being initiated buttressing the Government’s commitment towards addressing infrastructure gaps.
“In order to refocus our budget towards developmental expenditures, critical will be the need to ringfence resources to facilitate smooth implementation of the targeted projects,” he said.
“Additionally focus will be on rehabilitation and upgrading of existing infrastructure to ensure preservation of the existing assets. In this regard, resources will be deployed towards an enhanced maintenance programme targeting dilapidated and deteriorated infrastructure in key sectors.”
The budget will also be used in the upgrading of foreign missions as well as prison facilities in the country.
“I totally agree that we urgently take deliberate steps towards addressing the current accommodation requirements at our foreign missions. The 2022 National Budget, will, therefore, prioritise rehabilitation and upgrading of embassy facilities including construction of new facilities as well as outright procurement of buildings where necessary,” Ncube said.
“Taking advantage of the success released on the construction of staff accommodation of Chikurubi Maximum Prison, the 2022 National Budget, will further reinforce this implementation approach and cascade the same to other provinces. As recommended, by other Honourable Members, we need to make use of our own engineers and expertise in the security sector to undertake these projects.”
“It is also imperative that focus be towards computerization of prisons and correctional services, upgrading and rehabilitation of inmates’ facilities as well as construction of modern prisons as we move to decongest prisons,” went on Ncube.
The Finance Minister however said that bids submitted by line Ministries in excess of ZWL$3 trillion are beyond the overall 2022 Budget Envelope of ZWL$900 billion.
“As I have always highlighted during previous Seminars over the years, our capacity to finance expenditures will continue to be dependent on the revenue generation capacity of the economy and our ability to borrow sustainably,” said Ncube.
