PORALG budget up by 3.4pc

THE proposed 2023/24 budget for the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Governments-PORALG) has increased by 3.4 per cent compared to the allocation made in the current fiscal year, with focus on driving people’s development and national wellbeing.

Tabling the budget estimates in the National Assembly here on Friday, Minister for the docket, Mr Anjellah Kairuki, asked the House to endorse a 9.1tri/- budget for her ministry for the coming financial year.

The Parliament had endorsed 8.8tri/- for the ministry’s 2022/23 budget, which is to say the next budget will see an increase of 0.3tri/-, if the MPs accept the request.

According to Minister Kairuki, the increase means that the development budget will be about 3.5tri/-, up from 3.3tri/- of the current budget.

On the other hand, the ministry plans to spend about 5.7tri/- for recurrent expenditure, increasing from 5.5tri/- allocated in the current financial year.

The minister asked the august House to pass the budget for it to fund among others, the Teachers’ Service Commission and a total of 184 district councils in all regions.

She elaborated that out of the requested amount for the development budget, 2.36tri/- will come from foreign sources.

In implementing the next budget, the ministry has highlighted a number of priorities, including collecting 1.19tri/-.

Also, Ms Kairuki informed the House that the ministry would carry on financing fee free education for primary and secondary education, whereby 399.6bn/- has been set aside. Out of which, 157.79bn/- will be directed to primary schools while the remaining 241.85bn/- will be allocated for secondary schools.

This budget represents an increase of 53.1bn/-, which is equivalent to 15.3 per cent compared to the allocation made in current fiscal year.

“This increase is the result of putting Form V and Form VI students under the fee free education programme,” the minister clarified.

She further said in the education sector, the new budget would further focus on building new hostels, classrooms, school fences, repairing schools’ infrastructures, including the old ones.

In the health sector, the next budget plans to continue repairing old hospitals’ buildings in 31 councils, while constructing 16 new and completing construction of 376 dispensaries in the councils.

Ms Kairuki also mentioned that 116.9bn/- has been allocated for purchasing medical devices for the councils’ hospitals, health centres and dispensaries.

She went on informing the House that the ministry plans to spend 49.3bn/- to continue with construction of administration buildings in 71 councils. A total of 14.7bn/- has been allocated for buying furniture for the administration buildings in 50 councils.

She said 18 strategic projects will be implemented in the councils during the next year.