The Government has thus struggled to fund such critical obligations as agriculture, key infrastructure, population census, provision of social services, livestock drought mitigation and payment to inputs suppliers.
The sluggish performance also comes as Treasury has been battling to raise US$130 million for the summer cropping season.
Treasury would also have to secure between US$40 million and US$80 million for the referendum.
Government is also battling sanctions-induced economic problems, among them low foreign direct investment, low industrial capacity, debt overhang, unemployment and constrained bank lending capacity.
Minister Biti said Treasury received about US$41,7 million from diamonds, against the US$336 million it had projected.
Diamond exports since January totalled US$456 million, he said.
He did say how much was remitted from other minerals.
Due to the tight financial situation, Treasury said it would be more aggressive to get revenue by directing Government departments receiving revenue, which is lying idle to remit to the fiscal authorities.
Minister Biti would soon engage South Africa and Angola for lines of credit they pledged while expectations are that the International Monetary Fund would decide in
October to work with Harare under arrangements that would open doors to lines of credit.
Treasury pledged to find ways to secure funding required for three vacant parliamentary constituencies in Matabeleland region as directed by the High Court.
Minister Biti said Government could not afford to disobey the High Court ruling. He, however, insisted there was no money for by-elections in other constituencies.
Treasury also said that, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, it was working on measures to address high and punitive bank charges and interest rates.
This comes amid complaints from Government and the public that banks were fleecing depositors by charging high interest rates averaging 15 percent per annum against global rates of less than seven percent.



