malvernmugadzikwa
Online Reporter
PEOPLE with visual and hearing impairments can now have access to the National Budget, following the roll-out of the Budget Analysis Manual and Disability-Focused Citizen Budget that is available in sign language, braille and enlarged prints.
This comes after Signs of Hope Trust, a non-governmental organisation that champions rights of persons with disabilities, launched two knowledge products that are inclined to promote inclusive budgets in Zimbabwe on Friday.
Signs of Hope Trust director Ms Samantha Sibanda said the products are a result of the “Budget Now, Zimbabwe Project”, which was implemented between July 2022 to September 2023.
“The Budget Analysis Manual and Citizen Budget unpack the national budget and ultimately contribute to the wealth of knowledge around budgeting in Zimbabwe.
“Above all, we believe they will improve citizen participation and engagement,” Ms Sibanda said.
The National Budget, she said, is a key document that expresses the country’s priorities and objectives.
“The publication of this document aims to increase citizen participation in the budgeting process by promoting transparency and encouraging public involvement.
“An example of making the citizens’ budget more inclusive is the translation of the document into accessible formats such as braille, enlarged print, and sign language,” added Sibanda.
“We hope that Government will adopt these different approaches to package information for diverse groups in an inclusive manner.”
Notwithstanding Government’s current inclusion of a citizens’ budget in the budget documents presented in Parliament, it has not been available in accessible formats.
A citizens’ budget is a simplified and non-technical summary of the budget, intended to provide essential public finance information to a wide audience.
Its main goal is to ensure that as many people as possible can understand and engage with it.
Through the National Budget, the Government displays its commitment to upholding human rights through the various appropriations it makes.
Bongani Ndlovu