The 2019 National Budget comes at a time when the Government is facing fiscal constraints. Nevertheless, the Government will still have to deliver essential social services to its population to build on progress made in the past in order to safeguard the gains. Like in 2018, the 2019 National Budget is built on the pillars of the NDP which for the social sectors include reducing poverty and vulnerability and developmental inequalities. This budget brief therefore provides an analytical perspective of the budgetary allocation to Social Protection, Water and Sanitation, Education and Health functions of the Government. The relative share of the Social Sector Budget to the National Budget has decreased by a percentage point from 32% in 2018 to 31% in 2019. However, in absolute terms the allocation has actually increased by 18% from K22.8 billion in 2018 to K26.9 billion in 2019. Expressed in per capita terms the allocation has gone up by 13% from K1,354 in 2018 to K1,533 in 2019.
