Business Reporter
BULAWAYO Province has continued to get the least allocation of devolution funds with indications showing a sustained trend which will run through to 2028.
An allocation table published by the Finance and Investment Promotion Ministry this week shows that for the current year the province will receive ZWG153 million with a projected allocation of ZWG276 million and ZWG386 million for the years 2027 and 2028.
In comparison Harare Province’s allocation is four times bigger than Bulawayo with other Provinces receiving allocations which are more than five times bigger even over the projected period.
According to Treasury in 2026, the funding will support projects across key social and economic sectors, including education, healthcare, water and sanitation, road infrastructure and other essential public amenities.
“The provision of essential infrastructure services through devolution will reduce developmental disparities that exist within communities through inclusive regional development in line with the current mantra of ‘leaving no one and no place behind’,” reads the Infrastructure Investment Programme.
The report notes that during the first phase of the National Development Strategy (NDS1), several high-impact infrastructure projects were completed countrywide using devolution funds, while many more remain under implementation.
“Notwithstanding the progress achieved under the implementation of devolution projects, on account of limited fiscal space and competing Government priorities, there have been delays in the disbursement of devolution funding,” Treasury said.
To address this, Government is now developing a predictable cashflow framework for Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (IGFTs), which will allow for timeous and consistent release of funds to local authorities and improve project implementation and completion rates.
