Times Of Swaziland: YOUTH AFFAIRS’ OVER E68M BUDGET PASSED

YOUTH AFFAIRS’ OVER E68M BUDGET PASSED
================================================================================
Mmeli Mkhwanazi on 16/03/2022 08:34:00


MBABANE – The august House has adopted the Ministry of Sports, Culture and
Youth Affairs budget of over E68 million.
The amount is for the 2022/23 financial year. It was passed during the House of
Assembly Sitting on March 9, 2022. This came after their second sitting as the
Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs portfolio committee debated on
issues pertaining the ministry performance in the past year along with their
plans for the upcoming financial year. The legislators adopted the report and
further passed the recurrent expenditure for the ministry of E51 394 229 and a
capital expenditure of E17 295 000 which totalled to E68 689 229.
During the tabling of the report, Minister Harris ‘Madze’ Bulunga
highlighted some of the key achievements from the 2021/22 financial year.  He
noted that the ministry was allocated a total budget of E66 347 235, inclusive
of recurrent budget of E51 347 235 and a capital budget of E15 000 000, intended
for phase three of the rehabilitation of Somhlolo National Stadium.
The report further states that of the recurrent expenditure, E32 876 334 was
allocated as subventions to the ministry’s public enterprises. As a result,
the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) received a portion of
E3 979 360 for the current financial year. “The Eswatini National Youth
Council (ENYC) rolled out the out-of-school Life Skills Education pilot
programme as well as a behavioural mindset change programme. The Eswatini
National Council of Arts and Culture continued to support artists particularly
in taking their art towards digital platforms in view of the restrictions
brought about by COVID-19,” said Bulunga.
Meanwhile, MP Macford Sibandze wanted to know what was being done with regards
to capital projects plans on art infrastructure like theaters and Bulunga
responded by saying the ministry continued to explore opportunities to support
the youth involved in the arts sector. Moreover, the ministry was advised to
explore more funding opportunities with partners outside of government to which
he responded by saying, “We are already engaging partners outside of
government in strengthening some of our programmes as seen with programmes such
as the Youth Fund Khula Natsi partnership that the fund has with MTN
Eswatini.”
Furthermore, Kwaluseni MP Mabhanisi Dlamini requested that Kwaluseni Inkhundla
be one of the tinkhundla the ministry considered first for the recreational
facilities upgrading programme, citing that Kwaluseni did not have any
recreational facilities yet the area was densely populated. The minister
responded by saying his ministry would draw up a plan for the programme while
considering a variety of factors. He further stated that once this was
finalised, the public and MPs would be notified.