adminSusan Nyabunze Herald Reporter
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Minister Oppah Muchinguri has said she will institute measures to curb corruption that has in the past crippled the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund.
Speaking at a consultative meeting on Wednesday where a 2015 Zimdef budget was unveiled, Minister Muchinguri said transparency in the organisation was vital to meet the budget requirements. “Being a trustee does not mean that you have the sole responsibility for designing policies and allocating funding, you can’t do all that as a minister,” she said.
“We want Zimdef to be accountable. Once we agree on a budget we want to see it followed without any deviations.”
Minister Muchinguri convened the round-table meeting that saw the National Manpower Advisory Council making recommendations to her ministry on matters affecting national manpower development and training. “So, from time to time we want to meet and review the progress being made,” she said.
“Namaco acts as the parliament representing the industry. So it will help us to keep focused and stay on course.”
Minister Muchinguri said former budgets by Zimdef did not include participation by the ministry and Namaco and did not provide for checks and balances on its operations.
She identified the need to resuscitate Graduate Entrepreneurial and Employment Promotion Programme to reduce unemployment among graduates.
“We need to move swiftly to resuscitate GEEPP, indeed an important programme deserving funding from Zimdef,” said Minister Muchinguri. “The President and Government noted with concern the marked rise of unemployed university and polytechnic graduates.”
The Zimdef 2015 budget set aside more than $600 000 to be channelled towards GEEPP.
Online Reporter