adminPresident Mugabe, who is also the Chancellor of both Nust and LSU, recently expressed concern at the slow pace at which Government was moving to complete construction work at Nust. President Mugabe, who was at the university for its graduation ceremony early this month, said each time he visited Nust he was saddened by the slow pace at which Government was moving to complete construction work at the institution.
His sentiments were echoed by residents and the business community at a budget review meeting held in the city on Monday. The residents said there was nothing to cheer in the 2012 National Budget because Government was taking too long to disburse the allocated funds and in some cases little or nor funds were disbursed. The residents said as a result the implementation of development projects in Matabeleland was moving at a snail’s pace.
They said allocation figures were meaningless unless Government disbursed the allocated money meant for the different projects. In the past, the residents said, huge amounts were allocated to projects in the region but because the amounts allocated were not disbursed, not much progress has been achieved in the implementation of the projects. The residents said Government should ensure that whatever amounts are allocated to particular projects are disbursed as soon as possible so that the money is used in that very same year.
There have been cases in the past when money allocated for particular projects had to be surrendered back to Treasury either because the relevant implementing arms of Government did not have the capacity to spend the amount of money or the money was disbursed late.
In some cases the delay in spending the money was caused by too much red tape within the Government system. We totally agree with the people of Bulawayo that there is need for Government to ensure that whatever amount is allocated for projects is released as soon as possible so that projects can be completed in the shortest possible time. The delay in completing projects is very expensive as the cost of implementing the projects will continue to skyrocket. The people who are supposed to benefit from particular projects are also inconvenienced by the delay in completing the projects.
A good example is the delay in completing the upgrading of the Joshua Mqabuko International Airport in Bulawayo. The travelling public has, for a long time now, been forced to use a makeshift terminal as they await the completion of the project. We are very aware that Government has competing priorities when it comes to allocation of resources but it is our understanding that when Finance Minister Tendai Biti comes up with the incomes and expenditure budget for a particular financial year, he would have already identified his source of revenue so the issue of non-availability of funds is out.
The arms of Government that have been given the responsibility to implement projects on their part should ensure that systems are in place to enable them to spend the allocated money within the given year. These arms of Government should strive to minimise bureaucracy in order to speed up the implementation of projects. The implementation of development projects is meant to uplift the people’s lives so any delays should be viewed as working against the people who are supposed to benefit.
We want to once again implore Government to ensure that the disbursement of allocated funds especially for development projects is done within the shortest possible time in order for the nation to derive maximum benefits from the allocated resources.
Online Reporter