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| National |
| House approves budget |
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by
Zainah Liwanda, 24 September 2004
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09:55:07
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Parliament Thursday authorised government to spend $817 million as allocations to ministries and other establishments, over $35 million more than the $778 million allocation Finance minister Goodall Gondwe proposed to Parliament on September 3 in his budget statement.
Gondwe, however, said the figure has increased following amendments in the allocations to the National Aids Commission (Nac), Ministry of Vocational Training and the National Assembly.
The National Assembly allocation has increased from about $7 million to about $9 million, Nac from about $14 million to about $16 million and the ministry of Labour and Vocational Training from about $2.6 million to about $3.4 million.
Overall, the biggest allocations are to the ministry of Education with over $96 million, Health $83 million and Agriculture has been allocated $64 million.
Other key allocations are Office of the President and Cabinet with $18 million, State Residences about $5 million, National Intelligence Bureau just over $1 million, Malawi Defence Force $21 million, ministry of Foreign Affairs just under $20 million, Malawi Revenue Authority $24 million, subventions and statutory organisations $31 million, ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security $2.6 million among others,
Presenting the appropriations bill for approval, Gondwe said the money would be used in the provision of public goods and services, ensuring good governance and servicing the domestic debt.
”Mr, Speaker Sir, in view of the adjustments effected in the National Aids Commission, National Assembly and Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, I beg to move that the Appropriations Bill be changed from K85.6 billion to K89,888,293,930,” said Gondwe.
He, however, did not elaborate on where the additional amounts would come from.
Gondwe said during the presentation of the budget government was expected to raise revenue totalling to $700 million of which about $500 million would come from domestic sources and $200 million was to come from donor grants, leaving a budgetary deficit of about $78 million to come from domestic borrowing.
Earlier, the committee of supply which was chaired by Second Deputy Speaker Jones Chingola adopted 19 proposed allocations, bringing the total number of approved votes to 57.
Leader of the House Yusuf Mwawa moved a motion that the House adjourns to 9:30 PM Friday considering that deliberations had gone through lunch break to complete the votes.
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