Financial Gazette (Harare)
22 November 2008
Harare — REDTAPE in government has led to delays in the injection by the World Bank (WB) of a US$1,2 million grant earmarked for the improvement of services in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the Central Statistical Office, The Financial Gazette heard this week.
While the WB cut ties with Zimbabwe in 2000 citing government's failure to honour its long-standing financial commitment to the bank, the Breton Woods institution has continued to support specific projects in the country.
WB's assistance to Zim-babwe totalled US$1,6 billion between 1980 and 2000 when the country went into arrears and this amount has since gone up according to figures released this week.
Zimbabwe's indebtedness to the Breton Woods institutions -- the Inter-national Monetary Fund and International Finance Corporation -- amounts to US$1,3 billion.
Mungai Lenneiye, the WB acting country manager for Zimbabwe, said on Monday the bank had early this year made another grant of US$1,2 million but the Ministry of Finance had not respo-nded, and had not signed an agreement that would result in the unlocking of the funds.
"We said we will make available US$1 million to the Ministry of Health to deliver better health care and US$200,000 to support the Central Statisti-cal Office," Lenneiye said.
"The agreements are still with the Ministry of Finance, if they sign we will give them the money.
"We gave them the agreements early this year but as you know there were elections.
"I do not know how much time was spent on elections but we need the government's signature.
"We are not quite sure why they are held up, we talk to the officials and they say they are still discussing internally.
"But the Minister of Health (David Parire-nyatwa has been very supportive," the WB acting country manager said.
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