‘Treasury should prioritise Gwayi-Shangani project’
TREASURY should prioritise the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project in the 2018 national budget and set up a specific fund to support revival of Bulawayo industries, stakeholders said yesterday.
Contributing during a highly subscribed pre-budget consultation meeting organised by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance in Bulawayo, participants also stressed the need for increased financing towards social welfare to hedge the less privileged in the face of a challenging economic environment.
The gathering implored Treasury to channel more money towards completion of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, a major component of the long awaited National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, viewed as the long term panacea to Bulawayo and the region’s perennial water supply challenges. The participants said resuscitation of industries in Bulawayo was crucial towards creation of jobs for thousands of unemployed graduates and unskilled youths.
“People are concerned that lots of youths are not employed and there is a need to avail funding for income generating projects including women-run businesses,” said one participant.
Nkulumane MP Killian Sibanda weighed in and stressed the need to harness opportunities in small to medium enterprises through increased financing.
“In my view SMEs are now the backbone of this economy and we feel Government has to channel more funding towards this sector and this would assist our economy,” he said.
Some underlined the need for Government to build schools in Bulawayo citing congestion in existing facilities as well as prioritisation of health funding for drugs and access to critical healthcare services.
The participants expressed concern over “inadequate” social welfare support from Government, particularly for the elderly and other vulnerable groups that need to be supported in the face of economic difficulties.
They challenged Government to spearhead and fasttrack the establishment of the Women Bank to fund female entreprenuers. Some suggested that Treasury needs to stick to the budget to avoid deficits that create problems in the economy.
“It’s a waste of time to budget because all this effort comes to nothing if fiscal authorities decide to come up with unbudgeted expenditure that results in deficit,” said Mr Reginald Shoko from the Affirmative Action Group.
Some participants complained that Bulawayo has not received adequate budget support for developmental projects when compared to other provinces. They noted the need to also develop recreational facilities to develop talent outside the formal sectors and create more opportunities for diverse groups of people. One participant said such facilities would assist the country in curbing crime and drug abuse cases that emanate from idleness.
It also emerged that Ingutsheni Hospital lacked food supplies and that patients there were reportedly fed on porridge.
A member of the committee, Ms Dorcas Sibanda, who is also Bulawayo Central MP, said the team noted the residents’ concerns and would report them to Treasury as they are. The team also covered Lupane and would conclude its meetings in Victoria Falls today.