Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is poised to receive a budget allocation of just over M2. 5 billion translating to about 10 percent of the
country’s total budget. The total expenditure estimates are proposed at M24.8 billion of which the recurrent expenditure is M18.1 billion and capital expenditure is M6.8
billion. These developments transpired on Wednesday this week in the National Assembly during the financial proposals for the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the
year, 2022/2023. After the parliament had approved the budget and passed the appropriation bill, the government can now use it as well as raise revenue for the government.
MoET will receive the largest chunk of the budget and will be followed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) which usually received a larger share than all other
ministries. For this financial year, MoH will receive M1.9 billion a reduction from the recent past financial year by M411 million. This is owing to the
government’s decision to cut ties with Tšepong Consortium Pty (Ltd), the company that was contracted by the government to run Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial
Hospital (QMMH) and it used to gobble close to half of the Ministry’s budget. Giving a brief account for her Ministry’s budget, Minister of Education and Training
Hon. ‘Mamookho Phiri said this money will be used to pay salaries, for operating costs, building new classrooms at primary schools and ablution facilities as well as fencing the schools.
She further said the other portion will be allocated to the Examination Council of Lesotho (ECoL) as it no longer generates income since scrapping off of the Primary School Leaving Examination
(PSLE) and Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinations through which it used to charge their examination fees. The
Minister also told the august house that part of their budget will be directed towards the subvention for tertiary institutions. The Ministry of Finance has been allocated just over M1. 09 billion.
Part of the budget according to Hon. Thabo Sophonea will be used for operating costs and allocated to agencies falling under the Ministry of Finance. Of those, Lesotho
Revenue Authority (LRA) will receive an allocation of M422 million, Financial Investment Unit (FIU) will receive a sum of M14.9 million, Lesotho Institute of
Accounts (LIA) is set to receive M4.5 million and Lesotho National League of the Visually Impaired Persons (LNLVIP) is set to receive M1.8 million. Other
agencies up for funds are the office of the Auditor-General which is allocated M26.7 million while Lesotho Millennium Development Agency will receive M250
million. Hon. Sophonea highlighted that the funding earmarked for LMDA will be instrumental in facilitating the signing of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact II which is expected to be signed soon.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is allocated M343 million; M49.1 million is earmarked for the Ministry of Trade and Industry; the Ministry of Development
Planning will have a larger share of just over M1.1 billion which will be directed to scholarships. The Ministry of Justice and Law has been allocated M244 million; the Ministry of
Home Affairs will receive an increased M432 million; the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology is set to receive M166 million and Prime Minister’s Office is up for M116 million.
The parliament’s portfolio committees failed to scrutinise the budget as the opposition resisted its passage saying the ruling main partner All Basotho Convention (ABC) had withdrawn from the coalition and ultimately the government.
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