MARINGA: Sh66bn slash will affect key sectors

The 2022-23 budget read on April 7 comes with pros and cons. This as Kenyans face an economic crisis characterised by fuel shortage and high food prices.

The government has slashed recurrent expenditure by Sh66 billion. This will impair key public service sectors, resulting in poor performance and inefficiency.

Ministries have for long been underfunded, affecting their performance. In most ministries capacity building has become a thing of the past.

It is important for the government to ensure that all public entities are well funded and recurring expenditure taken care.

Public service is a key driver of government agenda and delivery of policies, therefore it's important to allocate it sufficient resources.

A well-funded public service translates to efficiency and greater output for the national good.

We are coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic and are now in an electioneering period where the economy is projected to grow at a sluggish rate or decline.

With a Sh3.3 trillion budget, proper fiscal and monetary policies should be put in place to cushion mwananchi from the tough economic times.

In this regard, we thank the administration for subsidising fertiliser prices. This is a great relief to farmers and a boost to food security.

Many mega projects have been launched—Lamu port, standard gauge railway and Turkana wind power project. The Nairobi Expressway will be launched soon. All these are debt-driven projects.

It is important for financial experts to do a detailed feasibility analysis to determine the return on investment. It will also help to reduce the burden on the taxpayer.

Maringa spoke to the Star