According to ZBC, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube is expected to present his mid-term budget today. His budget is expected to focus on where he is expected to increasing government workers’ wages and restoring confidence in the economy. The latest budget is also expected to include measures that will help the country fight the novel coronavirus.

The Finance Minister promised civil servants a pay rise last month. The pay rise is also to be paired with a 75 USD Covid 19 allowance that will be paid into Nostro accounts of civil servants. His budget will probably touch on this issue as well as address the demands of some civil servants who are currently on strike and those that have been demanding that the allowance be paid in the form of cash instead of electronic transfers.

The ZBC also interviewed a number of people who expressed what they wanted to see in the new budget:

We are currently facing a huge import bill on food items, given the uncertainties within the climate change the review should focus on what can be done to improve yields by offering incentives to the farmers. The issue of settlement of the fees is critical as we need firms to bounce back but it is all about how the settlement of charges from the government can be done given the us dollar and the local currency transactions.
Basil Nyabadza Traditional Grains Producers Association chairman

Companies are operating below the initial growth rates so if something can be done to the effect that the economy can recover and offer recovery then that will be good for the whole economy.
Insolvency and Restructuring Association of Zimbabwe president, Claudious Nhemwa