admin
Esinathy Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
TREASURY has set aside $310 million to facilitate the process of devolution in the country in fulfilment of a pledge President Emmerson Mnangagwa made before the elections.
In his 2019 National Budget presentation yesterday, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said the allocation seeks to operationalise support to provinces in terms of Section 264 of the Constitution.
“An estimated US$310 million in fiscal transfers is earmarked for support to Provincial Councils for 2019. As spelt out in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, decentralisation is a key strategy for fair and just governance.
“All provinces should be able to plan and implement their economic growth and development using their factor endowments, with Central Government contributing through the 5 percent allocation annually,” said Prof Ncube.
“The Devolution strategy also embraces initiatives to facilitate establishment of companies in various districts, in line with the thrust to enhance production in respective provinces, with the long established Growth Points being epicentres of this developmental thrust.”
The Minister said an interim formula comprising population profile, poverty profile and infrastructure quality and deficit will be used to distribute the amount among the provinces.
To ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the public resources, Professor Ncube said Treasury is embarking on a programme to enhance the financial and accounting capacity of local authorities and the Provincial Councils.
“As per the undertaking in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, ZimStat will be seized with production of socio-economic statistics that will underpin assessment of the various Provinces’ and Local Authorities’ contribution to the overall GDP, including spatial GDP figures,” he said.
Government on Tuesday approved the Principles of the Provincial Councils and Administration Amendment Bill, which spells out the mechanisms of decentralisation and devolution.
Implementation of devolution enjoins central Government to release funds for provincial budgets to ensure that areas lagging behind in terms of development are prioritised.
Under a devolved state, each province will have its own economic development plan underpinned by resources found in that province. Economic plans will be crafted by provincial councils, led by provincial ministers, whose role should also be development-oriented.
A month before the July 30 elections, President Mnangagwa said his administration would introduce provincial councils in line with the constitutional provisions for devolution of power.
Addressing Zanu-PF supporters at Pelandaba Stadium in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, President Mnangagwa said the implementation of devolution would ensure that provincial ministers don’t dwell on chanting party slogans but work to boost the economies of their respective provinces.
President Mnangagwa said provincial ministers must, for example, know all the minerals in their areas and come up with ways of exploiting them to develop their provinces.
He said each province would compete in terms of economic delivery.
“When we finish the July 30 elections, when we win, the Second Republic will come into place.
“Under the Second Republic, each province will have its own economic planning programming from ward, to district to provinces. We will initiate the provincial council as provided for by the Constitution, run province by province in a devolved tower,” said President Mnangagwa. — @esinathy_essira
Online Reporter