Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion has dismissed claims of a spending spree by the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), clarifying that the reported 143 percent budget utilisation reflected centrally managed national programmes rather than operational expenditure by the Office itself.
In a statement this Friday, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the figure, which appeared in the 2026 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review Statement presented on Thursday, had attracted significant public attention and required clarification.
Prof Ncube said the reported utilisation did not amount to unauthorised expenditure or a budget overrun by the OPC.
“The Ministry wishes to clarify that this does not constitute operational expenditure by the Office of the President and Cabinet, nor does it constitute unauthorised expenditure or a budget overrun by the Office,” said Prof Ncube.
He explained that the expenditure reflected Government’s deliberate strategy of centrally managing key national programmes and projects through the OPC to improve coordination and efficiency.
“The reported budget utilisation reflects the Government’s deliberate approach to centrally managing selected strategic national programmes and projects through the Office of the President and Cabinet.
“This arrangement enables the Government to coordinate the implementation of cross-cutting programmes, accelerate project execution, strengthen oversight, and achieve greater efficiency in the utilisation of public resources across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs),” said Prof Ncube.
According to Prof Ncube, the expenditure covered strategic programmes that cut across several sectors, including the refurbishment and upgrading of hospitals, national social protection initiatives, interventions supporting education and agriculture, digital economy projects and the capacitation of Government departments.
He said expenditure under such programmes is initially recorded under the OPC Vote before being reassigned to the relevant beneficiary ministries and agencies through established budgetary and accounting procedures.
“Accordingly, expenditure incurred under these centrally managed programmes is initially recorded under the Vote of the Office of the President and Cabinet and then reallocated to the respective beneficiary Ministries, Departments, and Agencies through the appropriate budgetary and accounting processes,” said Prof Ncube.
Prof Ncube reiterated Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability, saying all spending was undertaken within the framework of the Constitution, the Public Finance Management Act and the Appropriation Act and remained subject to Treasury oversight, audits and Parliamentary scrutiny.
He said the Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review demonstrated prudent fiscal management, with total revenue amounting to ZiG137,8 billion against expenditure and net lending of ZiG123,6 billion during the first half of the year, resulting in a budget surplus of ZiG14,2 billion.
Prof Ncube urged the public, media and stakeholders to interpret the reported OPC budget utilisation within the broader context of Government’s budget execution and public financial management systems.
“The reported expenditure should not be construed as expenditure solely attributable to the operations of the Office of the President and Cabinet, but rather as expenditure related to centrally managed national programmes that will, in due course, be reallocated to the respective beneficiary Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” said Prof Ncube.
He also rejected media reports suggesting a spending spree.
“Reference to a ‘spending spree’ in some media reports is therefore inaccurate and misleading, if not mischievous, and was never mentioned in the Minister of Finance’s Statement,” said Prof Ncube.
Prof Ncube said Treasury remained committed to sound public financial management and to providing timely, accurate and transparent information on the management of public resources.
