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Minister Patrick Chinamasa

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education yesterday received the highest allocation of $800 million in the 2017 national budget.

Presenting a $4.1 billion budget in Parliament yesterday Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the bulk of the budgeted funding will be directed towards payment of salaries for educators.

“In this regard, the 2017 Budget proposes an allocation of $803.8 million towards primary and secondary education. Given that the teacher is central to education delivery, $789 million of the above budget appropriation will support the payment of remuneration to the 122,756 strong education labour force,” said Minister Chinamasa.

The minister said part of the funds will be used for curriculum development as well as schools’ development. The other portion of the fund will be channelled towards school feeding schemes.

He allocated $281.9 million to the Ministry of Health and Child Care saying funds were allocated in response to consultation from players in the health sector.

“In health, the thrust of the 2017 budget allocation proposals responds to community appeals for prioritisation of the following challenges raised during the consultative process for the development of the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (IPRSP): limited access to health services, burden of communicable diseases, that is malaria, TB and HIV/Aids and burden of non-communicable diseases, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and oral health,” said Minister Chinamasa.

The Ministries of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development and Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development were all allocated $31,7 million each while the Information Communication Technology ministry was allocated $17,1 million.

Minister Chinamsa also said the Government was mobilising $215.9 million for the transport sector concentrating on road works in 2017. He also allocated $100.3 million towards water works, saying this was critical in view of climate change, which has resulted in drying up of major water sources.

Minister Chinamasa allocated $3.7 million for the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, a key project meant to ease Bulawayo’s water woes in the long term.

The agriculture sector was allocated  $291.6 million mainly to cater for inputs, grain reserves and irrigation development among others. — @nqotshili