Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Government has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to strengthening budget execution and ensuring the timely release of funds, identifying these as critical pillars for maintaining the momentum of national development and achieving the ambitious targets set under Vision 2030.
This pledge was made by Dr William Manungo, the Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet and Government Team Leader in the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF), during a strategic planning retreat for the social dialogue body held in Victoria Falls last week.
Addressing delegates from Organised Business, Organised Labour, and Government, Dr Manungo acknowledged the significant economic and social challenges the nation has confronted, including the continued imposition of illegal sanctions by detractors, the escalating effects of climate change and the high levels of informality that persist within our labour market.
Despite these headwinds, he highlighted substantial milestones achieved under NDS1, such as sustained positive economic growth, attainment of food security, expanded infrastructure development and improved foreign currency generation.
With the launch of NDS2 by President Mnangagwa on 27 November, and its subsequent operationalisation through the 2026 National Budget, Dr Manungo emphasised the need for enhanced co-operation among all social partners.
“From the Government’s side, we acknowledge the need to improve predictability and efficiency in disbursements to Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and, more importantly, TNF-related programmes.”
“We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening budget execution and ensuring timely releases, as these are essential for maintaining momentum in national development,” he said.
This commitment is seen as a vital step in building trust and ensuring that development projects and social programmes are implemented without disruptive funding delays.
Dr Manungo positioned the TNF as a central pillar of governance architecture, essential for developing a robust social contract.
“Government holds the firm view that the complexity of our national challenges requires collective solutions derived from genuine engagement among social partners,” he said.
He underscored the indispensability of collaboration for sustaining growth, boosting productivity, and creating decent jobs.
Dr Manungo urged that engagements remain aligned to the national principle of leaving no one and no place behind.
“Government remains committed to ensuring that the TNF is capacitated to fulfil its mandate. We are fully aware that past gaps in trust and confidence have sometimes slowed progress. As such, the Government stands ready to strengthen engagement, deepen transparency and enhance collaboration with all TNF constituents,” he said.
Dr Manungo described the retreat as a pivotal moment for reflection and forward planning.
“Strategic planning is not just an administrative routine; it is a process of learning through reflection and adaptation,” he said.
He called on all social partners to engage with sincerity and patriotism, ensuring that dialogue translates into tangible, measurable and meaningful outcomes that directly benefit the citizens we collectively serve.
The reaffirmation of commitment to efficient budget execution at this high-level forum by the Government will address a critical bottleneck in development implementation, aiming to foster greater confidence as the nation embarks on the more transformative phase outlined in NDS2.
