Parliament queries increased allocation to OPC
Gwengwe- to respond to queries on budget additions
Pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Finance to justify an increase in the budgetary allocation to the Office of the President and Cabinet OPC, State residences as well as the Ministry of information.
In his mid-year budget statement on Friday last week, Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe indicated that state residences and the OPC have had their votes increased by K12 Billion, while the Ministry of Information and digitalisation has been allocated extra K11 Billion.
Reacting to the statement, Chairperson of the Budget and finance committee of parliament Gladys Ganda observed that the increase is not justified considering that most government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) have had their votes adjusted downwards.
Ganda adds that such unnecessary expenditure is going against government’s own austerity measures which were announced recently.
In an interview with Capital FM however, she highlights that she is eagerly waiting for an explanation from the Minister of finance.
“As a committee we are waiting for the Minister’s response to our queries otherwise these adjustments are astronomical and unjustified,” Ganda said.
Gwengwe is expected to respond to queries raised by party and committee representatives as well as individual legislators before the house approves each vote.
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