Online Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Correspondent
THE Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion is working towards introducing a dedicated disability-responsive budget statement, signalling a major policy shift in national financial planning.
The shift was revealed by the chief economist in the Ministry of Finance’s expenditure management department Mr Nimrod Mavindidze today at a two-day workshop on Disability-Responsive Budgeting in Harare.
The workshop, which was convened by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, ends tomorrow.
“We are pushing for a transformative change in how we approach disability issues in our National Budget,” said Mr Mavindidze.
“For the first time, we are working towards incorporating a disability responsive budgeting statement, which will explicitly highlight resources allocated for persons with disabilities.”
The workshop, organised in collaboration with Sightsavers and the Department of Disability Affairs, brings together organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), special institutions, and government stakeholders to bridge the knowledge gap in national budget processes.
The two-day programme focuses on several critical areas: Understanding the national budget cycle, Pre-budget consultation processes, Budget formulation procedures, Economic sustainability for OPDs and Resource tracking mechanisms.
“This workshop helps build knowledge across all stakeholders about how they can effectively participate in the national budgeting process,” said Mr Mavindidze.
“We want them to understand the processes and feel empowered to communicate their needs to the Government of Zimbabwe.”
Peter Tanyanyiwa