The government has released 68.5 million Kwacha from the Treasury to support the Cash for Work programme, demonstrating its commitment to addressing challenges caused by the recent drought. Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane announced that the programme aims to provide financial relief to vulnerable yet viable citizens by engaging them in labor-intensive community projects.
Dr. Musokotwane highlighted this initiative while discussing the 15.3 billion Kwacha allocated in the August 2024 budget for public service delivery and developmental programmes. The revised 2024 budget has earmarked 2 billion Kwacha specifically for the Cash for Work Programme, designed to mitigate income challenges faced by those impacted by the drought.
Additionally, Dr. Musokotwane revealed that the 2025 National Budget will be presented on Friday, September 27, 2024. He noted that out of the 15.3 billion Kwacha, 1.3 billion Kwacha was directed towards transfers and social benefits, while 808.8 million Kwacha was allocated for capital expenditure. A total of 2.6 billion Kwacha was used for implementing various government programmes and general operations.
Furthermore, 5.2 billion Kwacha was spent on the public service wage bill, and 5.4 billion Kwacha was allocated to address arrears and debt servicing, both domestic and external.