Parliament Should Adopt Gender-Responsive, Disability-Inclusive Budget

By Shingirai Vambe

Bulawayo- Parliament has been implored to adopt a gender-responsive and disability-inclusive budget that ensures adequate funding for programs benefiting women and persons with disabilities.

This call was made by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda while officially opening the 2025 Pre-Budget Seminar being held in second largest city.

The pre-budget seminar is held under the theme “Mapping a Robust 2026 National Budget for Inclusive Growth”.

It brought together parliamentarians, economists, government officials, and development partners to deliberate on fiscal priorities ahead of the presentation of the 2026 National Budget later this year.

Mudenda also highlighted the need to adequately fund institutions such as the Women’s Bank, the Youth Empowerment Bank, and programs for persons with disabilities.

“Let the Women’s Bank be adequately capitalised to effect the national empowerment of women. The youth are the rock on which our future will be built and our greatest national asset, ”he said.

The Speaker also called for accelerated domestic resource mobilisation, noting that while revenue collection had improved, a gap remained between fiscal needs and income generation.

“There is need to formalise small and medium enterprises and leverage public-private partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure development.

“The National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Survey reveals that 85.7 percent of Zimbabwe’s 3.4 million enterprises operate in the fiscal shadows.

“By using digital technology, this figure can be upscaled phenomenally to boost revenue inflows,” he said.

Mudenda also implored Zimbabwe Revenue Authority(Zimra) to expediate efforts to leverage on Artificial Intelligence(AI) in transforming tax administration and improve revenue collection at the country`s border posts.

“This can be achieved through deployment of predictive analytics, blockchain technology and automated compliance monitoring.

“AI will enhance administrative efficiency and encourage voluntary compliance across all sectors of the economy, including the informal sector, thereby enhancing revenue streams,” said Mudenda.

The Speaker challenged legislators to craft a 2026 national budget that is both prudent and transformative, urging Parliament to uphold its constitutional duty as the supreme guardian of the public purse.

“The country’s next fiscal framework must translate national policy aspirations into tangible socio-economic outcomes for ordinary citizens.

“You assemble here today as the constitutional architects and sovereign stewards of the National Budget.

“The eyes of millions of Zimbabweans are, therefore, upon you, eager to see whether or not this budget will be genuinely transformative of the people’s livelihoods,” said the Speaker, adding that prudent financial planning requires tough choices.

He called for stronger parliamentary oversight over the implementation of budgets, procurement, and expenditure.

“The role of Parliament in public finance management extends beyond approving the Finance and Appropriation Bills, it demands vigilant monitoring of budget implementation, resource disbursements, and procurement processes to ensure efficiency and accountability,” the Speaker noted.

He implored the Treasury and all government ministries to strictly adhere to transparency provisions outlined in the Public Finance Management Act and the Constitution, including equitable distribution of national resources to ensure that “no person and no place is left behind.”

He underscored the need to include all voices in the budget through broad consultations with the public, private sector, and civil society.

“The national budget must faithfully mirror the voice of the people. Budgetary allocations must not be abstract policy decisions, they are choices that constitute the very backbone of human dignity, ”he said.

The Speaker also urged the Treasury to honour Parliament’s financial autonomy, warning that failure to disburse approved funds undermines democracy.

“When Parliament approves budgetary allocations following rigorous debate and Treasury fails to disburse them, it eviscerates Parliament’s oversight role. What Parliament has legally appropriated, Treasury must oblige accordingly,” said Mudenda.

The Speaker also pressed for climate-responsive budgeting and for Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to strengthen follow-ups on Auditor General’s reports to ensure accountability in public expenditure.

“Approving budgetary allocations for ministries that disregard Auditor General’s recommendations constitutes serious corporate imprudence and a betrayal of fiduciary duty,” Mudenda said.