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Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter

Parliament must ensure that the country achieve its national goals and vision through the exercise of its allocative power of the 2023 national budget so that the national agenda is attained, Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda has said.

He said Zimbabwe was on course to achieving its national objectives and implored legislators to play their oversight role effectively to ensure that the country’s national budget was implemented transparently and efficiently.

Adv Mudenda said this yesterday while delivering a keynote address during a post budget consultation meeting attended by Members of Parliament and economic experts to unpack the 2023 national budget that was presented last week by Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, at the new Parliament building.

The consultations were meant to ensure legislators were better equipped to debate the national budget in Parliament.

“Allow me to confirm that if man has the ability to turn stone, boulder, pebble, metal, wood, water, cement and soil into majestic architectural splendour as you witnessed at the new Parliament complex, nothing can stop us from achieving our aspirations in Vision 2030 if we assiduously implement the Budget as one of the assured steps to attaining our vision,” said Adv Mudenda.

He said the presentation of the 2023 Budget at the imposing new Parliament building should symbolise the legislative supremacy as bolstered by the Executive. 

“Parliament’s power of the purse or its allocative power, is regarded as the most comprehensive and effective weapon by which the Executive is able to concretely consummate the national development agenda,” said Adv Mudenda. 

“I, therefore, call upon various Portfolio Committees to ensure that there is efficiency, effectiveness and transparency in the employment of public funds as they exercise their oversight role.

“In that context, I look forward to Committees of Parliament tabling their analyses on Budget implementation and performance reports for the Ministries they oversee in order to ensure that the budgetary allocations have been expended prudentially. 

“I also encourage Honourable members, not only to hold government accountable, but to be also accountable to the electorate by ensuring that as Members of Parliament you will not fold your arms wherein you fail to effectively discharge your representative role.”

Adv Mudenda said the 2023 National Budget exuded some bright gleams of hope. 

“It is undeniable and unquestionable that Zimbabwe is emerging from the economic meltdown occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and the imported world inflation consequent upon the impact of the Russia/Ukraine conflict on the world economy bubbles,” he said. 

“Furthermore, the era of price madness typified by speculative market indiscipline and unethical business practices had to be responded by the Second Republic’s positive National Development Strategy1 and other recuperative measures. 

“Consequently, the distress suffered by Zimbabwean citizens has been somewhat ameliorated although more needs to be done to go over the economic hump.”

Senate president, Cde Mabel Chinomona, commended Prof Ncube for including the bulk of what Parliament had recommended after it gathered views from people across the country.

“Every national budget should address the aspiration of the country. I know as MPs we have got our own expectations given that we spent most of our time with the people,” said Cde Chinomona.

During the consultation, legislators called for greater effort to ensure accelerated transformation of the economy.

Chegutu West MP, Cde Dexter Nduna said there was need to deal a plethora of taxes that businesses had to pay in the interest of ensuring ease of doing business.

Norton MP, Mr Temba Mliswa, called for the need for Treasury to aggregate revenue collection in both local currency and foreign currency given that it was collecting hard currency in some of its services.

Buhera South MP, Cde Joseph Chinotimba, complained about the steep prices of agricultural inputs such as fertiliser.

Economic analysts, Mr Percy Gwanyanya, said the economy had registered some growth that has led to stability.

He noted that the prevalence of fuel service stations was attributable to the stability of that sub-sector given that it charges in foreign currency.

NMB head of treasury and international banking, Ms Shanangurai Takaindisa said there was need to introduce some taxes for those corporates that did not carry out corporate social responsibilities.