…Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg confirms payment following Monday’s E2.9 billion SACU revenue receipt
BY MBONGENI NDLELA
MBABANE – Government has paid E175 million to Microprojects following the arrival of Eswatini’s E2.9 billion Southern African Customs Union (SACU) revenue on Monday, October 5, 2026.
Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg confirmed the payment to Eswatini Positive News on Thursday afternoon, October 8, 2026, following an enquiry about how much of the SACU revenue would be channelled towards settling outstanding payments to government suppliers and contractors.
The Minister confirmed that Microprojects had received E175 million, while explaining that Government continues to make payments to suppliers every week.
“We pay suppliers on a weekly basis. We paid Micro Projects E175m,” Rijkenberg said.
The confirmation follows an earlier undertaking by the Minister that Government would prioritise payments to Microprojects to enable the institution to settle outstanding obligations to contractors.
On September 30, 2026, Rijkenberg exclusively confirmed to Eswatini Positive News that the country was expecting to receive E2.9 billion in SACU revenue this week.
At the time, the Minister was asked whether government suppliers could expect payments once the funds arrived.
He responded that payments were already being processed weekly and indicated that Microprojects was among the institutions earmarked to receive funding.
“They have been getting payments every week. We will be trying to pay Micro Projects to be able to pay their contractors,” the Minister said at the time.
Thursday’s confirmation establishes that E175 million has now been paid to Microprojects.
The allocation comes amid concerns over outstanding payments to contractors undertaking government-funded development projects across the country.
Microprojects plays an important role in the implementation of public infrastructure projects, including the construction and improvement of facilities used by communities.
Delays in payments to contractors have been among the financial challenges affecting businesses working on government projects.
In August, Rijkenberg informed Parliament that E130 million had been paid towards outstanding Microprojects obligations, according to a report published recently.
The latest E175 million payment represents another allocation towards the institution’s financial requirements.
For construction companies awaiting payments, the immediate question is how soon Microprojects will begin settling outstanding invoices using the money it has received.
Contractors depend on these payments to meet operational expenses, purchase construction materials, pay employees and honour commitments to their own suppliers.
However, the Minister did not specify how the E175 million would be distributed among individual contractors or when the payments would reach them.
Eswatini Positive News had also sought clarification on the percentage by which Government intends to reduce its outstanding debt to suppliers following the SACU revenue receipt.
Rijkenberg did not provide a percentage, but maintained that Government continues to pay suppliers weekly.
The latest development comes against the background of Government’s efforts to address cash-flow challenges that have affected payments to businesses undertaking public projects.
With E175 million now paid to Microprojects, attention turns to the institution’s disbursement of the funds and the extent to which outstanding contractor payments will be settled.
