Mbabane – The Ministry of Finance reported a total recurrent expenditure of E10.1Bn in the second quarter, which represents 45% of the overall recurrent budget allocated.
This spending, which is slightly below the halfway year mark, is part of a broader push by the department to re-establish fiscal discipline and ensure macro-economic stability.
The total funds released for the recurrent budget amounted to E11.2Bn. In addition, E2.98Bn was allocated to government-financed capital investment for the second quarter. This capital spending accounts for 34.2% of the quarter’s released funds and 9.1% of the overall appropriated budget. The annual budget for government-financed capital projects totals E2.98Bn, of which about 41% has been released.
Spending on wages and salaries totalled E4.6Bn, consuming approximately 52% of the total personnel annual budget. The report notes that this high personnel cost is putting pressure on the ministry to fill critical vacant positions. Meanwhile, expenditure on internal transfers, which includes subsidies, grants, and social benefits, reached E3.6Bn, accounting for 42% of the annual internal transfers’ budget. Spending on goods and services amounted to E2.2Bn, which represents 47% of the annual budget allocated for these items.
During the reporting period, the ministries with the highest released budgets were the Ministry of Home Affairs (99% of allocated budget), the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (80% of allocated budget), and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (71% of allocated budget). The total release across all ministries amounted to E11.2Bn, representing 50% of the annual budget. Furthermore, full releases were made to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, with E83.9M released specifically for the Royal Eswatini Police Service.
The detailed financial outturn shows that Personnel Costs were the highest spending category at E4.55Bn (52% of its budget), followed by Internal Transfers at E3.62Bn (42% of its budget). Other significant outturns included Professional Services at E819.4M (49%), Consumables at E520.2M (56%), and Travel at E302.0M (68%). Drugs had the lowest percentage outturn at E250.5M (32%)
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