Where supplementary 945.7bn/- budget goes
DODOMA: THE government yesterday tabled the supplementary budget to the main 2024/2025 national budget, amounting to 945.7bn/-, including showing areas where the money will be allocated.
With the supplementary budget tabled yesterday, the budget ceiling for the 2024/2025 financial year has increased from 49.346tri/- to 50.29tri/-.
Tabling the additional budget in the House, Minister for Finance Dr Mwigulu Nchemba said the adjustment made is due to the additional budget support from Development Partners (DPs) that was not included in the main estimates.
He said President Samia Suluhu Hassan has continued looking for money meant to finance provision of social-economic services to the public, enhancing the country’s economic growth.
He said until December 2024, the government had received a total of 460bn/- from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), and another 130bn/- from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to the minister, the money was not included in the main budget passed by the House in June 2024.
Dr Mwigulu explained that the funds from AfDB (130bn/-) had been allocated in the 2023/2024 financial year budget but was delayed, prompting the government to include it in the Consolidated Fund for the 2024/2025 budget financing.
In the second half of the 2024/2025 financial year, Dr Mwigulu said, the government expects to receive 356bn/- from the International Monetary Fund that was also not included in the allocations for the current financial year.
In that case, the minister said, the government received additional funds, amounting to 945.7bn/- that was not part of the money allocated in the current financial year.
“Pursuant to the requirements of Article 137 (2) of the country’s Constitution and Section 43 of the Budget Act, Cap 439 R.E 2020, the government is duty bound to present to the Parliament the supplementary budget for approval,” Dr Mwigulu said.
Dr Mwigulu said the supplementary budget will finance activities in education, health, tourist institutions, including footing bills related to the implementation of climate change mitigation programmes.
Giving breakdown, the minister said the Treasury will receive a total of 325.96bn/- while the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will get 131.44bn/-. A total of 53.77bn/ will go to the Ministry of Health while 173bn/ will directed to the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism will receive a total of 260.76bn/-.
“The allocations made in this supplementary budget have taken into consideration the vision of President Samia of producing skilled workforce by judiciously implementing the New Education and Training Policy,” the minister said.
Having the National Assembly approved the additional budget, the finance minister tabled a supplementary Appropriation Bill to authorise the release of funds from the government’s Consolidated Fund to cover the costs of the supplementary activities. The bill was unanimously passed by the House.
Presenting the views of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Budget, on behalf of the committee chair, Oran Njeza, Kibiti CCM legislator Twaha Mpembenwe warned against the tendency by some government executives of diverting the funds to other areas. He said it would be impressive for the funds to finance some projects in the councils that are still under implementation.
Members of Parliament who contributed to the debate for the supplementary budget praised President Samia for her tireless efforts to secure financial support from various stakeholders.
