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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Government has allocated $30,3 billion for social welfare programmes targeted at vulnerable groups in the Supplementary Budget presented by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube last month.
Overall the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare was allocated an additional $34 billion from the initial $19 billion it got from the original 2022 budget.
“If you look at what we have done in the budget, we have increased the social welfare aspect. If you look at that aspect, it is $30,3 billion out of the full $34 billion. It has been quite a large increase in my view,” Prof Ncube said this on Tuesday during the ongoing debate in the National Assembly on the Supplementary Budget he presented together with Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review Statement.
Treasury has already released $9 billion to the ministry from the initial $19 billion allocation with MPs calling for quicker disbursements of the money for the benefit of the needy.
The ministry runs a number of social welfare programmes like the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), grain distribution and cash transfers and another targeting youths affected by drug abuse among others.
Debate on the Supplementary budget continues today.
Online Reporter