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(LUSAKATIMES) Cooperating partners to finance 2010 budget

Cooperating partners to finance 2010 budget
Thursday, November 26, 2009, 11:16

A TOTAL of nine cooperating partners have confirmed their commitment to give Zambia more than K1trillion in Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS) towards the 2010 national Budget after noting the Government’s progress in addressing most of their concerns.

The Government and the cooperating partners are also this week expected to sign an agreement on the resumption of funding to the health sector, which was suspended about six months ago, following the Ministry of Health financial scandal.

The cooperating partners announced their firm commitment of K1.032 billion after a high-level policy dialogue with the Government, which was co-chaired by Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane in Lusaka yesterday.

Dr Musokotwane and outgoing Cooperating Partners Poverty Reduction Budget Support group chairperson, Derek Fee confirmed the donors’ commitment during a joint briefing at the end of the meeting.

The amount is also over and above the $169.8 million, which was committed by the cooperating partners towards this year’s national Budget.

Dr Musokotwane said the meeting was a follow-up to the main one held in September this year and was aimed at resolving outstanding issues particularly on the progress on public financial management, governance and health sector issues.

Dr Fee who co-chaired the meeting said the Government’s continued commitment to the fight against corruption and strong response to audit findings through concrete remedial measures was the best guarantee for donor support.

Dr Fee who is European Commission (EC) head of delegation to Zambia said that the announced support was a contribution to the overall national development plan and reform agenda with ultimate aim of reducing poverty in rural and urban areas.

Apart from EC, other cooperating partners are African Development Bank, Finland, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the World Bank.

The donor community recognised the overall progress made by the Government in several areas of the roadmap and considered it sufficiently satisfactory to confirm the budget support commitment.

Notable progress was recorded on the strengthening of the public financial system, and the revision of the budget cycle. Other areas hailed were the launch of Anti-Corruption Policy and the increase in funding towards the Auditor General’s office for this year.

For the health sector, the cooperating partners acknowledged the progress attained in implementing the remedial measures agreed on in the action plan, which would pave the way for the release of donor funding.

The Government and the cooperating partners are, as the result, scheduled to sign an agreement for the resumption of funding to the ministry of Health and related areas.

[Times of Zambia]

Labels: 2010 BUDGET, DONORS, PRBS

posted by MrK @ 12:25 PM