By Tabora Bojang
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs will today table D52,980, 894,173 billion government estimates, recurrent and expenditure for the fiscal year 2025 for consideration and approval by the National Assembly.
It shows an increase of over D10 billion from last year’s D42 billion budget approved by the National Assembly.
Out of the D52.9 billion estimates, Government Local Fund is expected to reach D37, 848,776 billion representing 71.44 percent with grants estimated at D12,643, 119 representing 23.86 percent and loans at D2, 488, 998 billion representing 4.70 percent.
As part of the estimates, the current budget is expected to rise to D31,176,855 billion from D27,262, 555 approved last year.
Out of these salaries and wages are proposed to increase to D8,888,079 billion from D7,359,495 billion in 2024.
Capital expenditure is estimated at D15,958,419 billion from D11, 866,383 in 2024.
Expenditure on interest payments is also estimated to rise to D5,881,643 billion from D5,133,095 billion approved in 2024.
Highest allocations
According to the estimates, highest allocations in the budget will go to the following:
Office of the President estimated at D1,085, 644 billion from over D872 million approved in 2024, Ministry of Education is estimated at D5,086,487 billion, Ministry of Foreign Affairs at D2,402, 022 billion, Ministry of Works and Transport D2,166,783 billion, Ministry of Finance at D2,491,366 billion, Centralised Services at D1,350,721 billion, Ministry of Health D2,657,743 billion, Ministry of Energy estimated at D1,263,413 billion, Ministry of Defense at D1,065, 742 billion, Ministry of Interior at D1,896,572 billion and National Debt Service is estimated to cost D11,017,789 billion.
There have also been low allocations for certain ministries which previously enjoyed fat allocations such as Ministry of Agriculture whose budget is estimated at D945,706 million representing only 2.50 percent and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology estimated at D296, 630 million.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youths and Sport’s budget is estimated at D133,055 million representing 0.35 percent of the total budget.
The budget estimates for the National Assembly is D442,062 million, the Judiciary at D341,228 million and IEC at D298,254 million.
