FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube received a backlash from legislators who attended a budget seminar in Victoria Falls last week for alleged incompetence, Zim Morning Post can report.
Ncube was castigated for wantonly neglecting to adhere to the Abuja Declaration which stipulates that government should give at least 15% of its budget to the Health Sector.
The legislators alleged that under Ncube, Zimbabwe failed to meet the 15 percent health budget allocation stipulated by the Abuja Declaration of 2001 obligating signatories to guarantee quality health services in their national budgets.
in his 2018 budget, he allocated US$694.5 million to the Ministry of Health and Child Care which will be largely used on employment costs which is about nine percent of the $8,2 billion budget.
In 2017, the same ministry received US$400 million representing 7.7 percent of the total US$5.1 billion budget.
The Abuja declaration signed by 53 African countries, including Zimbabwe, in Nigeria,stipulates that national annual budgets should allocate 15% to health – especially to fight malaria.
However, Zimbabwe has constantly failed to meet that minimum threshold. The 2018 budget allocated 7 % to health sector.
Speaking to Zim Morning Post on Monday, St Marys legislator Dickson Urayai Tarusenga said the minister should take address the health sector crisis with utmost urgency
“The minister should be guided accordingly; our health sector is not performing well , we signed the Abuja declaration and we should adhere to the principles, the minister should be guided accordingly,” said Tarusenga.
The legislators’ resentment comes against the backdrop of the paralysis in the health sector where there is a massive shortage of drugs, doctors’ strike and hospitals in dilapidated conditions.