Education, health get lion’s share
BY MBONGENI NDLELA
LOBAMBA – Deservedly, the health and education portfolios have been allocated the larger share of the 2022/2023 national budget that was tabled in parliament on Friday, February 18, 2022.
Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg tabled a budget totalling E23.16 billion, which is a reduction of about E1 billion compared to the E24.04 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year.
The minister disclosed that the appropriated recurrent expenditure is expected to be At E16.2 billion, which is at the same level as in the 2021/2022 financial year.
The appropriated capital expenditure has been allocated an amount of E5.36 billion, which is a reduced figure compared to E6.37 billion allocated in the 2021/2022 financial year.
The budget deficit is projected to be at E3.8 billion, which is about E800 million less than the projected E4.6 billion deficit for the 2021/2022 financial year.
For the Ministry of Education and Training, Rijkenberg announced that an amount of E3.53 billion has been allocated to cater for all educational and training programmes.
Once tertiary education scholarships and grants for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are added, this figure increases to E4.05 billion, approximately 16 percent of the total national budget, putting Eswatini in the top 6 percent of education spending in Sub-saharan Africa.
“With this huge investment made by the tax-payers we challenge educators and learners to ensure that Emaswati benefit from this significant investment,” the finance minister said.
For the Ministry of Health, the minister announced an allocation of E2.42 billion as he said the health of the Nation is an important resource that Government will continue to invest in.
He said the E2.42 billion budget allocation translates to about E2,069 spending per capita, putting Eswatini in the top 6 percent of health spending in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Mr. Speaker, significant investment has been made by Government and development partners in the health sector during the COVID-19 response. Major investments include: The building of a ward for COVID-19 at Lubombo Referral Hospital; Repurposing of the National TB Hospital in Manzini; Construction of oxygen plants at the Luke Commission and Lubombo Hospital; Installation of bulk oxygen tanks at the Luke Commission and Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital,” the finance minister said.
Furthermore, Rijkenberg said, regional hospitals had improved their capacity to manage severely ill patients and that this capacity will assist the country to manage other critically ill patients even post-COVID-19.
“The country has developed a surveillance system for COVID-19 and other illnesses in order to monitor and respond quickly should another outbreak occur in the future,” he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, meanwhile, has been allocated E1.36 billion to improve food security and minimise external risks.
An amount of E40.1 million has been set aside for the Input Subsidy Programme which has been running for the past five years and resulted in significant increases in the local production of maize.
”The input subsidy programme has gained momentum and demand has been growing on an annual basis. Government aspires to increase the number of beneficiaries from 10,000 to 15,000 over the medium term,” the minister said.
Government has also budgeted E507 million for the Lower Usuthu Irrigation Programme (LUSIP) and E26 million for Mkhondvo/Ngwavuma for resettlement of affected families and environmental mitigation.
The Mkhondvo/Ngwavuma water augmentation project an exciting project that is currently underway, due for completion in 2027and relates to the building of large dams, canals, and a hydroscheme.
It is envisaged to initially irrigate 10 000 hectares but ultimately irrigating around 30 000 hectares of land mainly in the Shiselweni region; and is expected to create an additional 10 000 jobs at full implementation.
When it comes to information, Communication and Technology, Government has provided E360.7 million to the Ministry of ICT to improve the performance of this fast-developing sector.
Government has also allocated E529 million to the Ministry of Natural Resources to carry out its programmes.
Government will also continue to give support to the Regional Development Fund as the main funding mechanism for the implementation of rural development projects.
In the 2022/2023 financial year, an amount of E177 million has been allocated to the RDF to facilitate the continuation of these projects.
Also, a budget of E385 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Tinkhundla to fulfil its obligations.
A number of Tinkhundla Centres were damaged during the civil unrest experienced in 2021 and a rapid assessment of the cost and extent of the damage has been commissioned.
Corruption also continues to be a sore in Eswatini and a budget of E24 million has been allocated to combat corruption in the 2022/23 financial year.
