Govt seeks Parly approval for US$16 billion in unauthorised spending

The Zimbabwean Government is seeking Parliament's retrospective approval for approximately US$16.13 billion in unauthorised expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Finance between 2015 and 2023, raising questions about public spending controls and compliance with established budget procedures.

The request is contained in two Bills published in the Government Gazette: the Financial Adjustments Bill, 2026, covering expenditure between 2019 and 2023, and the Financial Adjustments (No. 2) Bill, 2026, covering the period from 2015 to 2018.

According to parliamentary watchdog Veritas, the two Bills put the combined value of the expenditure at approximately US$16.13 billion.

The proposed legislation would allow Parliament to retrospectively authorise spending that took place without the necessary approval through the normal budget process. It does not seek to release a further US$16 billion to the Ministry of Finance, as the money has already been spent.

Under Section 307 of the Constitution, the Minister of Finance is required to introduce a Bill seeking condonation within 60 days after the extent of unauthorised expenditure has been established.

Ordinarily, government ministries must operate within budgets approved by Parliament. Where additional funding is required or spending falls outside existing allocations, the Finance Minister is expected to seek supplementary appropriation through the prescribed legal procedures.

The Financial Adjustments Bill, 2026, published on August 14, covers expenditure incurred between 2019 and 2023. The amounts were recorded in Zimbabwe dollars and subsequently converted into US dollars using the exchange rates prevailing at the end of each respective year. Veritas estimates the converted total at approximately US$6.50 billion.

The second Bill covers the 2015–2018 period and lists unauthorised expenditure amounting to approximately US$9.64 billion.

However, Veritas has raised concerns about the limited information provided on how the money was spent and whether the expenditure involved overspending on approved allocations or funding activities for which Parliament had not authorised any money.

The distinction is significant because exceeding an existing budget allocation differs from spending public funds on an entirely unapproved purpose.

The watchdog has called for the Finance Minister to provide detailed explanations before legislators consider the Bills. It has also questioned why supplementary appropriations were not sought under Section 19 of the Public Finance Management Act when existing allocations proved insufficient or additional spending requirements arose.

Questions have also been raised about discrepancies between the figures contained in the current Bills and those presented in earlier Financial Adjustments Bills.

For instance, the 2026 Bill records unauthorised expenditure of ZWL100.29 billion in 2020, compared with ZWL100.69 billion reflected in an earlier Bill. Veritas says differences also appear in figures for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, and wants the Finance Minister to explain how the amounts were calculated and why the records changed.

The timing of the proposed condonation has also come under scrutiny, given that the expenditure dates back as far as 2015. Veritas has questioned the delay in establishing the amounts involved and seeking parliamentary approval, in light of the constitutional 60-day requirement.

Earlier Financial Adjustments Bills published in 2019 and 2022 reportedly lapsed without being passed by Parliament.

Separately, a 2019 Bill sought condonation for nearly US$8.86 billion in unauthorised expenditure by other ministries between 2015 and 2018. That expenditure is not covered by the two current Bills.

If Parliament approves the proposed legislation, the expenditure covered by the Bills would receive retrospective parliamentary authorisation. However, approval would not, by itself, explain how the money was used, establish whether the spending delivered value or resolve all questions about accountability.

Veritas argues that legislators should establish what the funds were spent on, why normal budget procedures were not followed and whether the figures presented by the Ministry of Finance are accurate.

The organisation has also called for clarity on when the Government intends to seek condonation for unauthorised expenditure incurred by other ministries.

The Bills place renewed focus on Parliament's constitutional responsibility to oversee public spending and ensure that government expenditure is properly authorised, documented and accounted for.