Mbabane-The financially challenged The Luke Commission (TLC) on its quest for a government bailout continues to concern the Senate.
This is after the Senators debated the Ministry of Health’s 2025/26 budget with the TLC E50 million budget line on Tuesday.
It started with Senator Princess Temaswati questioning the Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula of government’s alleged preferential treatment of TLC over other government hospitals and other health institutions.
She got overwhelming support from other senators of the rationale for funding TLC with E50 million.
The Senators raised concerns that last year, the government bailed out TLC with E30 million once off payment, which Parliament approved. They asked questions on accountability for the allocated funds and the agreement to allocate this year’s E50 million as well as whether or not the government funding a family run trust fund. Senators also asked how the government was prioritising the TLC as it battles with a health crisis.
Minister Matsebula responded by admitting that there was still no formal agreement the government signed with TLC but assured senators that it would be concluded within next week.
TLC suspended its operations after USAID pulled its funding of many of its projects under the United States of America President Donald Trump’s administration.
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