adminorganisations’ budget coalition workshop organised by the National Association of Non-Governmental Orgnanisations in Harare last week,— SAPST programme advisor on economic affairs Mr Rongai Chizema said the new Constitution Chapter 17, Section 298-317, which provides a public finance management framework as opposed to the former, was a positive move.
“The new Constitution, among other provisions, provides for Parliamentary oversight of State revenues and expenditure while it also spells out limits of State borrowings, public debt and State guarantees, appropriations from the consolidated revenue fund and also the authorisation of expenditure in advance of appropriation and therefore prepares a good foundation for planners,” he said.
Mr Chizema added that the Public Finance Management Act was signed into law in March 2010 and currently regulations are being finalised to ensure that some of the provisions are enforced.
Reforms contained in the Act are to enhance the capacity of Government to formulate and execute the national budget as the principal instrument to fiscal policy.
“Focus has been put on improving the process of budget preparation and as such a refined budget calendar has been developed so as to de-congest fiscal planning, providing for accountability, engender a participatory framework while also introducing a strategic perspective to budgeting,” said Mr Chizema.
The old calendar was too compressed from around September to November and line ministries had only about two to three weeks to make their submissions to the Finance Ministry. The new calendar therefore introduces distinct phases to co-ordinate the entire process involved in fiscal planning, covering the entire budget cycle from the strategic phase, budget estimation, budget approval to budget execution.
The calendar also brought in the introduction of a budget strategy paper and soon after the reforms to the Public Finance Management Act, Finance Minister Tendai Biti was quoted saying “Government is introducing the concept of Budget Strategy Paper as a prelude to the actual budget, which will outline the broad budget policy framework for medium term.
“Accordingly, the paper is a tool meant to facilitate broader participation and in-depth debate on the national priority issues and this approach, unlike in previous years, allows more stakeholder participation during the consultative and formulative and formulation phases of the budget.”
At the end of the workshop, delegates from civic society made recommendations on the way forward to ensure public participation in budgetary processes that will culminate in a people-centred budget.
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