BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Speed up!
The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku has promised to speed up the processing of free primary education (FPE) funds, so as not to inconvenience schools.
Masuku said the recent challenges, such as the coronavirus pandemic, the unrest that culminated to the burning of schools and other properties, had resulted in more social challenges which government, together with stakeholders, was working hard to address.
In addition to that, the DPM said he was working around the clock to make sure that by the time schools open, schools have been paid Free Primary Education (FPE) funds.
The DPM said some of the key programmes that the Government of Eswatini had implemented included, but were not limited to, free primary education (FPE), school feeding schemes, maternal child healthcare services, caring for persons with disabilities and the orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) grant.
It is worth noting that this money, FPE is not only used to run schools in terms of buying working material but also to pay salaries of the support staff, who include cooks, grounds men and secretaries.
To date, some of the staff has not been paid their salaries from last year, because the head teachers said funds were not available.
The DPM stated that there were aware of the delays in the past but they always strived for improvement.
“The disbursement of FPE funds is facilitated by the Treasury Department, which is responsible for the cash flow.” He said.
In addition to that, he would not want to commit on the exact date for the disbursement of the funds, as he said he would have to consult with his principal secretary.
“The achievement include that FPE has improved in primary schools to 98 per cent, while maternal deaths have been reduced to 593 per 100 000 in 2013 to 432 per 100 000 currently.” The DPM said.
Other issues Eswatini reported on are the Marriage Act, birth registration and Disability Act, among others.
