TRAVEL costs for the Office of the President and Cabinet,
though slashed by half from the previous regime’s uncontrolled travel budget
that kept former President Robert Mugabe “airborne”, remain too high compared
to budget allocations for line ministries that are expected to lead the
country’s economic revival.
According to the 2018 estimates of expenditure tabled
before Parliament by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa, travel expenses for
the OPC were slashed by $15 million to $17 million.
Records from the estimates of expenditure (Blue Book) show
that between January and September 2017, the OPC had gobbled $32 113 258 in
travel expenses.
Although the government has budgeted to cut down on foreign
travel and spend $17 million in 2018, the travel budget is still far higher
than budgets of key ministries that need to revive the economy like Tourism,
which was allocated $5 138 000, Mines $6 522 000, and Energy and Power
Development $13 323 000.
Chinamasa indicated in his 2018 budget statement that he
would introduce cost-cutting-measures on government travel and other luxuries
by top officials.
“Experience has shown that Zimbabwe delegations to regional
and international fora are among the largest from the region at such
gatherings, and, therefore, as part of approval of Cabinet authorities for
external travel, the OPC, and Treasury will be enforcing rationalisation of the
size of delegations, in compliance with this new requirement, without exception,”
he said when presenting the 2018 budget.
Chinamasa said fewer senior government officials will be
travelling in business class in order to cut down on air travel expenses.
Parliament was allocated $57 million in 2018, yet MPs feel
the Legislature deserves as much as $100 million.
Opposition MDC-T chief whip, Innocent Gonese said
Parliament’s paltry budget allocation would stifle implementation of various
programmes by the legislature in 2018.
“We are not happy about the $57 million Parliament of
Zimbabwe allocation because we are an arm of the State, whose main functions
are watchdog. Parliament needs a budget of $100 million,” he said. Newsday
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