FINANCE and economic development minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube says government has put on hold most items including the purchase of luxury vehicles and allowances for cabinet ministers and legislators to direct finds towards fighting cholera which has now recorded 7000 cases.
By Michael Gwarisa
The developments comes at the back of a US$35 million funding gap from the required US$64 million to combat the cholera epidemic.
Addressing Journalists in the capital this afternoon (19/09/18), Prof Ncube said government has poured in US$15 million towards the cholera fight as a commitment to fight the raging cholera while other luxuries have been shelved.
“Resources mobilised to date add up to US$29 million and will fully cover the immediate requirement of US$25.4 million.
“There is a funding gap of US$35.1 million. Funding requirements according to our findings is US$64.1 million and we need US$24 million in the short term, US$34.9 million in the medium term and US$3.7 million in the long term. However, we are calling on the private sector, development partners, individuals including Zimbabweans in the diaspora are being called upon to provide both financial and non-financial assistance towards responding to the cholera outbreak,” said Prof Ncube.
He added that all resources financial and non-financial were now being channeled to the ministry of finance and economic development.
Meanwhile, Prof Ncube said response to the Cholera crowdfund initiative has been positive from both locals and Zimbabweans in the diaspora.
“The response to the crowd fund has been mixed, it has been positive. Obviously one or two people talked but I would say it has been positive. However the crodwdfund is not the core of funding but just a complement to what has already been secured considering government has already given US$15 million.
“The crowdfund is not even a new thing, its standard elsewhere in the developed world. It’s just probably I brought it here first. It’s a good thing, you should all try it.”
The Cholera crwodfund is CBZ Account Number 06621537300047 and the Ecocash Billercode is 140.
