Government has increases the
budgetary allocation to the health sector by K1 trillion.
Finance Minister Alexander
Chikwanda said the proposed allocation will represent a 40.7 percent over last
year’s allocation.
Mr. Chikwanda told Parliament
when he presented the budget this afternoon that the Ministry of Health has
been given K3.6 trillion representing 11.3 percent of the 2013 budget.
He disclosed that a notable
allocation in the sector is the K594.1 billion for drugs and medical supplies
an increase of 112.3 % over the 2012 allocation.
He said an additional K110.8
billion has been provided for the procurement of various medical equipment.
He added that a further K204
billion has been allocated to the University Teaching Hospital and the Central
Hospitals in Kitwe and Ndola.
He said government allocated
sufficient resources to facilitate the net recruitment of about 2,000 front
line medical personnel.
In the Agriculture sector
government has allocated K1.9 trillion, of which K1.1 trillion has been
provided for core agriculture programmes including those aimed at promoting the
sector’s diversification and caters for livestock, fisheries, crops and
irrigation development.
Mr. Chikwanda noted that
government has also allocated K500.0 billion to the reformed Farmer Input
Support Programme, which by mainstreaming the e-voucher system will also
promote crop diversification while some funds have been set aside for
recruitment of 900 additional extension officers.
He said in line with the policy
for the Food Reserve Agency to focus on maintaining the national strategies
food reserve and further allocated K300.0 billion for the 2012/2013 marketing
season.
He said the agriculture sector is
expected to contribute over half of the new employment opportunities over a
period of five years.
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