WRNZ, which is currently on an outreach programme to inform women about the importance of the budget, said that Zimbabweans needed to be educated on how the country’s budget affects their every day life.
The mid-year budget announced by finance minister Tendai Biti in June saw a spate of price increases after he reintroduced duty, and consumer group watchdogs accused the minister of not having consulted with the public.
Chipiwa Chifamba, WRNZ Research Evaluating and Monitoring Officer, said in an interview that gender budgeting meetings were currently being held countrywide to raise awareness throughout the country’s 10 provinces.
“We are educating people about the budget and we have discovered that people are not well informed. In our discussions we have discovered that women are more concerned with electricity and water shortages and we hope that the next budget will look into these issues,” said Chifamba.
So far in collaboration with the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe WRNZ has been to Banket, Masvingo, Gweru and Bindura and the turnout has been positive.
“People know about budgeting at a smaller level, but when it comes to a national understanding, people do not have knowledge,” said Chifamba.
Post published in: Zimbabwe News