Committee raises budget concerns

What you need to know:

  • The Parliamentary committee on Social Services and Community Development yesterday raised concerns over insufficient budget for development projects in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, warning it would adversely affect walking the talk on the implementation of the projects.

Dodoma. The Parliamentary committee on Social Services and Community Development yesterday raised concerns over insufficient budget for development projects in the ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, warning that it was unhealthy for the growth of the sector.

The concern was raised after the docket’s minister, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, presented his 2019/20 budget proposal of Sh30.8 billion in the Parliament.

Dr Mwakyembe said, out of the amount, only Sh6 billion, well below the approved Sh8.7 billion in the current financial year, was for development projects, with the rest being for recurrent expenditures.

For his part, Ludewa MP Deogratias Ngalawa (CCM), who was speaking on behalf of the committee’s chairman, warned that low fund allocation would adversely affect implementation of the development projects especially the renovation of the National and Uhuru stadiums.

“It should be noted that the National and Uhuru stadiums alone spend some Sh781 million in operational costs. As it stands, the allocated budget for the development project is not enough,” he stressed. Until March, 2019, the government disbursed Sh20.3 billion, which is equivalent to 61 per cent of the approved budget of Sh33.3 billion during the current financial year, according to Dr Mwakyembe.

Of the amount, he said, Sh.5.2 billion, which is translated to 59.8 per cent of the approved budget for development projects in the current fiscal year, was dished out until last month.