When the country purse is tight, movement on the monetary policy front does not favour the disadvantaged and marginalised.
In this Pre-Budget Consultation phase, The State through the Minister of Finance is called upon to support greater social inclusivity and parity in outcomes for all Zimbabweans in accordance with s56 Equality and Non-discriminations clause of the Constitution.
May the meaning and implications of the 2016 Budget give clarity and substance to the lives of women, children, rural communities, the unemployed and the marginalised through;
Budget Transparency – the constitutional principles of good governance and public finance Management demand that even the budget formats are altered to support the public finance principles of transparency and accountability. Let’s start by seeing Ministry budgets that clearly identify what State programs are being funded and how they are funded e.g. Loans, Grants, Direct Support, Development Partners etc.
Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) -All State entities must respect and adhere to the regulations of central purse and simply “Put the Cash into the Potâ€-We can’t share a bit– we share ALL the funds – all State resources must be disclosed and where appropriate duly put in the common pot for equitable distribution.
Tax Justice – Nobody says it better than s298 (b)(i) of the Constitution “The burden of tax must be shared fairlyâ€.
Local Authorities – Provide the 5% financing for Local Authorities and protect other Local Authority income streams from encroachment by Central Government to ensure that our Councils, which provide the primary interface to accessing social services for women and communities, are able to move communities towards better lives.
Protect Women – Move from Promises to Action. Fund the Anti-Domestic Violence Council (ADVC) and the Zimbabwe National Gender Based Violence Strategy to implement policies and laws to address GBV and make governments commitments to women real!
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Women In Politics Support Unit