Times Of Swaziland: ABOUT E300M MORE  MIGHT STILL BE NEEDED

ABOUT E300M MORE  MIGHT STILL BE NEEDED
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BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 15/09/2021 09:02:00


MBABANE – About E300 million more may be needed for the Reconstruction Fund if
current government estimates and assessments that the damage is about E800
million remain unchanged.
The Reconstruction Fund, which was launched by His Majesty King Mswati III over
a week ago, initially had a figure of E500 million which was reallocated from
various government ministries and a grant of E330 million from the Republic of
China (Taiwan). During the launch, a total of E13.5 million was pledged towards
the fund by local businesses, parastatals and private families.
Encouraged
During his remarks, the King had encouraged that every year about E1 billion
should be raised, which was based on the initial estimates that the damages
caused had been about E3 billion. The King initially announced the E500 million
Reconstruction Fund during Sibaya where the nation had assembled following the
civil unrest and where he announced that Cleopas Sipho Dlamini was the new Prime
Minister (PM). During the launch, the King further encouraged other friends of
the country to donate towards the rebuilding of the country where he encouraged
that those undergoing the process of reconstruction should go bigger and better
than the previous state which their businesses were in. It should be noted that
the damages were not only limited to businesses, but schools, hospitals and
other government structures such as tinkhundla centres were damaged during the
unrest and continued being so even after there was some calm restored in the
country.