By Sikhalile Dlamini
MBABANE – Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development Thabsile Mlangeni has disclosed her intention to advocate for a bill in Parliament that will establish Microprojects as an independent entity.
Mlangeni made this statement before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) during the discussions about the compliance report. This happened yesterday (Wednesday, July 10, 2024) in the House of Assembly. The Ministry of Economic Planning and Development had appeared before the PAC to explain before the committee on issues raised by the office of the Auditor General concerning the operations of the Ministry. The issues are contained in the compliance report.
When these issues were being discussed by the legislators (who are members of the PAC), concerns were raised about current funding operations of Microprojects unit. The MPs voiced out their dissatisfaction about the funding, stating that it needed to improve so that Microprojects could be more effective in developing constituencies to improve more lives in Eswatini. In response, PS Mlangeni mentioned that she wanted to work on making Microprojects an independent entity.
“The purpose of the bill is to establish Microprojects as an independent entity to ensure it can continue serving the country effectively and efficiently,” Mlangeni said.
She further highlighted that originally, Microprojects was intended to be a catalyst for development in rural areas, focusing on small projects. The new bill will, however, revise its objectives to transform it into an agency capable of executing projects that are not necessarily micro.
Microprojects plays a crucial role in empowering rural development across the four regions of the country. Over the years, it has partnered with organisations such as Engineers In Action (EIA) to assist in community development, improving infrastructure and overall well-being.
Microprojects is a semi-autonomous unit under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. It was established by the Government, through Legal Notice No. 9 of 1999, under the Finance Management Act No. 18 of 1967.
