By Jane Chanda
Finance Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane says the government has maintained its promise that salaries for public officials will never be delayed beyond the month-end.
In a statement by the Finance ministry Secretary to the Treasury yesterday, Dr. Musokotwane stated that the promise had been maintained despite adding 85,000 workers to the workforce.
Dr Musokotwane revealed that in April 2025, the government released K4.6 billion towards payment of salaries for public service workers and expressed satisfaction with the government’s achievements, stating, “It also seems that this is the first time in decades that all Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) arrears have completely been liquidated as early as April. We will continue on this path.”
“Looking at this report (April, 2025 budget releases), I am happy that since 2021 and despite adding more than 85,000 new employees across public entities, we seem to have maintained our promise that salaries for public officials will never delay beyond the month-end as was customary in the past.”
The minister stated that during the same period, the government instituted measures to ensure laws and regulations governing financial management and public procurement were applied, with swift consequences for perpetrators of financial and supply mismanagement.
“It cannot be business as usual, this is why we have instituted measures to ensure that laws and all attendant regulations that govern financial management and public procurement are applied, failure to which there will be swift consequences for perpetrators of financial and supply mismanagement,” stated Dr. Musokotwane.
He explained that the ministry of Finance and National Planning released K23.5 billion in April 2025 to finance public service delivery and that the breakdown included K8.5 billion for transfers, subsidies, and social benefits, K3.5 billion for developmental programs and general operations, K1.2 billion for capital expenditure, and K5.7 billion for debt service and arrears.
Dr. Musokotwane further stated that the K8.5 billion for transfers and subsidies included K3.1 billion for FISP, being the final balance to completely liquidate arrears relating to the 2024/2025 farming season and that as a result, no supplier of farming inputs should remain owed by the Government for the 2024/2025 farming season.
“K270 million was disbursed under the ministry of Community Development and Social Services to liquidate arrears relating to the Food Security Pack, which aims to empower vulnerable but viable small-scale farmers with seed and fertilizer supplies,” he stated.
“K2 billion went to the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries under this program, including those under the drought-response Emergency Cash Transfer, are paid in full for March and April 2025.”
Dr. Musokotwane stated that K333.3 million was disbursed for the Cash for Work program in an effort to augment the empowerment of households in various communities affected by the 2023/2024 drought.
He added that K1 billion was released under the Constituency Development Fund category to facilitate the continued implementation of community projects, skills development bursaries, as well as grants and loans for eligible beneficiaries.
He further stated that K783.5 million was disbursed as school grants to support the seamless implementation of the free education policy, in line with the government’s commitment to ensure adequate preparation for learners as schools reopen this month for Term II .
Dr Musokotwane stated that K933.7 million was also released to support the operations of various Grant Aided Institutions in the public Service, including Local Authorities through the Local Government Equalisation Fund with a further K100 million went towards the payment of pension benefits under Local Authorities Superannuation Fund (LASF) in an effort to reduce vulnerability among retirees.
“The Treasury released K3.5 billion to facilitate general operations of the Central Government, including K944.9 million for procurement of drugs and medical supplies, K120.4 million for the geological mapping exercise, and K100 million for the mobile registration exercise for National Registration Cards (NRCs),” stated Dr. Musokotwane.
