Women Affairs ministry sets out priorities
THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development will prioritise the development of workspaces for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and recapitalisation of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation, and the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB) next year.
This came out in a presentation by the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Cde Gertrude Mutandi (ZANU PF) during the 2024 pre-budget seminar held last week.
Among other priorities, the ministry will seek to facilitate digitalisation of cooperatives administration. It will also strive to enhance inspection of cooperatives to ensure compliance with the Cooperative Societies Act.
The ministry submitted a bid of $446 billion to Treasury, but will, instead, receive $94 billion for the 2024 financial year.
She told the seminar that Treasury should adequately fund the ministry to enable it to discharge its duties without hindrance.
“Late disbursements, budget cuts and underfunding will derail the implementation of the ministry’s projects,” she said.
“The committee recommends for the overall allocation of the ministry to be reviewed to 3 percent in place of the recurrent allocation of less than 1 percent (of the budget).
“Treasury should timely disburse allocations in light of inflationary pressures and currency erosion.
“The ministry should establish parastatals that venture into large-scale and value-addition projects as a means for domestic revenue mobilisation.
“For example, it can venture into largescale poultry farming like Irvines, venture into mining projects for exportation.”
While the ZWMB was established to empower all women, she said, a large proportion of rural women were failing to benefit from the bank because it is not decentralised.
“The committee calls upon Treasury to avail US$5 million required to recapitalise the bank,” she added.
“The ministry should also partially privatise the bank as part of its extensive overhaul of the underperforming public enterprise.
“Further, the ministry should also review its loan repayment terms to attract more women to access the bank.”Government, she added, continues to lose millions in tax revenue from MSMEs due to their informalisation.
“It is recommended that the Ministry should receive sufficient support to ensure it facilitates the registration, formalisation and regulation of MSMEs to contribute to tax revenue.
“The ministry should venture into partnerships with interested business individuals to construct modernised workspaces for MSMEs and collect revenue from rentals.” Cde Mutandi added:
“The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development devolved to ward level that has an ideal staff establishment of more than 2 000.
“The committee, therefore, calls upon Treasury to adequately fund the ministry to be able to operate to its fullest staff establishment.”