Consultations on 2018 budget to start

Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development will early next month begin the 2018 national budget consultations across the country.

Public consultations are critical in informing fiscal authorities on issues that various stakeholders want included in the national budget particularly in the allocation of funds for capital projects and prioritisation of critical sectors such as farming, health, education and manufacturing.

Speaking by telephone yesterday, the committee’s chairperson, Mr David Chapfika, who is also the legislator for Mutoko South said: “We are starting the public hearings on the 1st of October. We are leaving Harare with two groups one covering the northern region and the other covering the southern region.

The team covering the southern region will split into two groups, one going to Gweru and the other Masvingo down to Beitbridge.”

The group covering the southern part of the country is expected to cover Matabeleland North and South and Bulawayo provinces. “All the provincial capitals and one district per each province will be covered by the teams leading public consultations on the 2018 national budget,” said Mr Chapfika.

The public consultations, he said, were expected to be completed at the end of October.

He said the committee has already met members of the business community such as the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and the Chamber of Mines in Harare.

The national budget for the coming year is usually presented towards the end of the year. — @okazunga.