Musokotwane says 2027 budget to reflect collective Cabinet position

Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, says the 2027 national budget will reflect a collective Cabinet position rather than the individual demands of ministers.

Musokotwane said the Minister of Finance was responsible for presenting the Government’s agreed position to Parliament, adding that disagreements over resource allocation should be resolved within Cabinet.

Speaking during a ministerial orientation programme on the national budget at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Thursday, he said ministers were expected to support and defend the agreed budget during parliamentary debates rather than advance individual ministerial interests.

“Cabinet would meet tomorrow (Friday) to consider and approve the 2027 budget ahead of its presentation to Parliament next week,” he said.

Musokotwane said the budget preparation process had been disrupted by the 2026 general elections, delaying the usual process, which typically begins around July.

He said the orientation programme was intended to familiarise newly appointed ministers with budget preparation, resource allocation and the factors considered when determining funding for their respective ministries.

“Ministers would be expected to explain and defend their allocations when parliamentary committees scrutinised their ministerial budgets following the budget presentation,” Musokotwane said.

He urged ministers to understand every line of their budgets and work closely with permanent secretaries, directors and other civil servants to understand the purpose of each allocation.

Musokotwane cautioned ministers against leaving budget matters entirely to chief accountants, saying they remained responsible for explaining and defending their ministries’ financial plans.

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