BY SIBUSISEKILE NDLANGAMANDLA
MANZINI- The Ministry of Economic Planning and Development has today commenced the Planning Refresher Training for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) held at Happy Valley Hotel, marking the beginning of the preparation process for the FY2027/28–FY2029/30 Medium-Term Plans.
The training forms part of the implementation of the 2026 Planning Call Circular (PCC), which provides guidance to MDAs on the preparation of their medium-term plans and seeks to strengthen the link between national development priorities, planning, budgeting and implementation.
The refresher training is focused on strengthening the understanding of Programme-Based Planning and Budgeting (PBPB), the use of the UMSEBE Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) planning template, as well as the review process that MDAs will undertake when developing their plans.
Programme-Based Planning and Budgeting places Government policies and national priorities at the centre of the planning and budgeting process. It requires MDAs to identify programmes, outputs and activities that directly contribute to national development objectives, while ensuring that these interventions are measurable, properly coasted and results-oriented.
As part of the planning process, MDAs will be expected to undertake a thorough review of their previous plans, assess progress towards existing targets and identify priority outputs and activities for the 2027/28–2029/30 medium-term period.
The process will also require MDAs to ensure that their planned outputs are aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP) FY2023/24–FY2027/28 and the Programme of Action (POA) FY2024/25–FY2028/29. This alignment is intended to ensure that Government resources are directed towards interventions that have the greatest potential to contribute to national development results.
The training comes at an important time as Government continues to strengthen public financial management reforms through the UMSEBE IFMIS. The system supports the integration of planning and budgeting processes, helping to improve the coordination, transparency and efficiency of public resource allocation.
The 2026 Planning Call Circular also calls on MDAs to take into consideration the prevailing global and domestic economic environment when developing their plans. With risks such as imported inflation, rising energy costs and global supply chain disruptions, MDAs are encouraged to adopt risk-responsive, efficient and high-impact strategies.
The medium-term planning process will therefore not only focus on what Government intends to implement, but also on how interventions can be prioritised, properly planned, coasted and linked to measurable development outcomes.
Through the refresher training, the Ministry continues to support MDAs in strengthening their planning capacity and ensuring that the preparation of the FY2027/28–FY2029/30 plans is undertaken in a coordinated, informed and results-driven manner.
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(Courtesy Pic)
