By Delicious Mathuthu
Zimbabwe- The Parliament of Zimbabwe has announced the postponement of the 2025 Budget Consultations, originally scheduled for October 29 to November 4, 2024.
No new dates have been announced yet, but Parliament assured the public that sufficient time will be given for participation once the new dates and venues are finalized.
“Parliament of Zimbabwe wishes to advise members of the public, stakeholders and the media fraternity that the 2025 Budget Consultations which were pencilled for 29th-4th October 2024 have been postponed to a later date to be advised,” Parliament of Zimbabwe said in a press statement.
Despite serious concerns on the lack of discipline in budget spending in the past, Zimbabwe has made significant strides in promoting transparency and accountability in public finances, adopting a program-based budgeting approach since 2014, research shows.
However some stakeholders have expressed concern on the selected venues for the consultations, which are remote, saying they are segrigative and will not accommodate key views needed in the budget.
In the Midlands for example, the consultations had been scheduled for Zhombe, making it expensive for the majority of citizens in the cities to express their views due to travelling expenses needed.
The 2025 Budget Consultations aim to enhance citizen participation, promote transparency and accountability, and improve service delivery as stated in the Constitution, the Public Finance Act and other finance laws.
The International Budget Partnership has also recognized Zimbabwe’s efforts, awarding the country for its progress in budget transparency.
