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Fidelis Munyoro, Harare Bureau
Government has gazetted the Appropriation Bill which seeks to give legal effect to the budget votes allocated to various ministries and departments by Treasury in 2019 budget statement.

The announcement was made in an extra-ordinary Government Gazette published on November 30, but made available on Friday.

The Bill is set to be tabled in the National Assembly in due course. It is expected to sail through with or without amendments.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube presented the 2019 national budget last month.

This was his maiden budget statement after he was appointed as one of the technocrats by President Mnangagwa in his post-election cabinet.

Presenting an US$8,16 billion 2019 National Budget in Parliament on November 22, Minister Ncube assured the nation of Government’s commitment to ensure bitter measures, including retiring all civil servants above 65 years of age and retrenching over 3 000 youth officers.

He said Government resolved to reduce the number of foreign missions, thereby optimising the utility value realised from the remaining missions as well as avoiding accumulation of arrears and embarrassing evictions of diplomats from properties in foreign land.

Minister Ncube said diplomatic presence at 46 embassies and consulates, staffed by around 581 home based and locally recruited staff.

The diplomatic presence, he said, was imposing annual budgetary support levels of around $65 million, which is above available 2018 Budget capacity of $50 million.

The budget also proposed a 5 percent cut for top Government officials and parastatal bosses salary in January next year as Government implements austerity measures to contain costs as part of a cocktail of measures to turn around the economy.

Government is also expected to save money by improving the management system of the Government fleet parking all pool vehicles during weekends and after official duty at work stations or police stations.