News / National
Youth ministry chews up 75% of its annual budget in first half of the year
13 Sep 2014 at 06:48hrs | Views
The ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment has chewed up $16 million, which is 75% of its annual budget of $44,4m towards salaries in the first half of this year.
Youth, Indigenisation, Economic Empowerment acting permanent secretary Emmanuel Ngwarati told Parliament during the week that his ministry was currently rationalising staff to trim down its wage bill.
"Employment costs naturally consume the highest budget amount of expenditure at $16m.
"The current ongoing staff rationalisation which shall ultimately result in the staff establishment reduction levels to 6 674 from the initial 7 000 will result in expenditure being contained with the budget."
Despite the seemingly adequate budget appropriated for the year, Ngwarati said the ministry was failing to undertake projects because of the paltry release of funds by treasury during the period under review.
"A total amount of only $1,2m, constituting 10,6% of the budget outside employment costs, was released during this period," he said.
Ngwarati said outside meeting employment costs, the released funds were mainly used to pay critical obligations and to settle long outstanding debts to utilities providers such as like Zesa Holdings, Tel One and Zinwa.
The lack of funds has paralysed the service delivery of programmes and projects being implemented by the ministry.
For administration and general expenses, which constitutes goods and services, maintenance, current transfers, programmes, fixed capital assets acquisitions, only one item, National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment (NIEEB) did not receive any funds.
Vocational training centres received only $2,1m against a budget of $4,4m.
Ngwarati said only $5 000 was released for goods and services against a budget of $1,3m, which went towards telephone bills.
He added that nothing was released for other items that include educational materials, supplies and services.
"The centres had to rely on fees paid by students for all these critical needs; obviously these fees cannot adequately address these needs."
Ngwarati said no funds were released from treasury for the construction three irrigation schemes though the schemes were supposed to be completed this year.
The three – Kaguvi, Magamba and Chaminuka were allocated budgetary allocations of $120 000, $150 000 and $70 000 respectively by the ministry.
Youth, Indigenisation, Economic Empowerment acting permanent secretary Emmanuel Ngwarati told Parliament during the week that his ministry was currently rationalising staff to trim down its wage bill.
"Employment costs naturally consume the highest budget amount of expenditure at $16m.
"The current ongoing staff rationalisation which shall ultimately result in the staff establishment reduction levels to 6 674 from the initial 7 000 will result in expenditure being contained with the budget."
Despite the seemingly adequate budget appropriated for the year, Ngwarati said the ministry was failing to undertake projects because of the paltry release of funds by treasury during the period under review.
"A total amount of only $1,2m, constituting 10,6% of the budget outside employment costs, was released during this period," he said.
Ngwarati said outside meeting employment costs, the released funds were mainly used to pay critical obligations and to settle long outstanding debts to utilities providers such as like Zesa Holdings, Tel One and Zinwa.
The lack of funds has paralysed the service delivery of programmes and projects being implemented by the ministry.
For administration and general expenses, which constitutes goods and services, maintenance, current transfers, programmes, fixed capital assets acquisitions, only one item, National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment (NIEEB) did not receive any funds.
Vocational training centres received only $2,1m against a budget of $4,4m.
Ngwarati said only $5 000 was released for goods and services against a budget of $1,3m, which went towards telephone bills.
He added that nothing was released for other items that include educational materials, supplies and services.
"The centres had to rely on fees paid by students for all these critical needs; obviously these fees cannot adequately address these needs."
Ngwarati said no funds were released from treasury for the construction three irrigation schemes though the schemes were supposed to be completed this year.
The three – Kaguvi, Magamba and Chaminuka were allocated budgetary allocations of $120 000, $150 000 and $70 000 respectively by the ministry.
Source - Zim Mail
