Treasury ready to fund jabs Prof Ncube

Zvamaida Murwira

Senior Reporter

Treasury is ready to provide US$100 million for the Covid-19 vaccination programme, half of which is from the 2020 National Budget.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday said Government had also tightened procurement of Covid-19 material such as personal protective equipment (PPE) to curb abuse.

Prof Ncube said this while giving oral evidence before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development during a virtual meeting on Covid-19 funding.

The Committee is chaired by Buhera Central MP Dr Mathew Nyashanu.

He said there was also the procurement of vaccines under an African Union facility through the Afrexim Bank to ensure that more than 60 percent of the country’s population was vaccinated.

“The vaccine will be free for all Zimbabweans. We have got our own resources to the tune of $8,3 billion which is the US$100 million. The resources are there and will be spent as we go along. We also have donations coming in. The private sector has also pledged to play its part,” said Prof Ncube.

“Part of the money is from savings from the 2020 National Budget. Right now we are already showing indication of a surplus of US$50 million for 2020 Budget although an audit is still underway.”

He said there was also an additional US$7 million to cover logistics for the rolling out of the vaccination programme which started two weeks ago with frontline workers.

Prof Ncube said the abuse of procurement procedures through rent seeking behaviour was rampant globally.

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