This policy brief proposes a set of recommendations on the alignment of the legislation impacting Public Finance Management in Zimbabwe. According to the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Secretariat, public finance management ensures that revenue is collected
efficiently and used appropriately and sustainably. Effective public financial management
systems should entail strategies that promote the prudent management of resources as well as expenditures. Enacting public finance management legislation is one such key strategy. Zimbabwe has a fairly encompassing legal, regulatory and institutional public finance management framework. The
adoption of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act in 2013 created an enabling
foundation upon which a strong public finance management system should be premised. However,
six years after its adoption, legislation impacting on public finance management, primarily the Public
Finance Management Act [Chapter 22:19] which is the principal Act regulating public finance management in Zimbabwe has not been aligned to the Constitution. This policy brief therefore aims to assess the conformity of legislation impacting public finance management in Zimbabwe to the guiding principles of public financial management as provided for in the Constitution. It also aims to identify gaps between the Public Finance Management Act and other legislation that have a direct or indirect impact on public financial management in Zimbabwe. The policy brief will conclude by providing policy recommendations on the alignment of the legislation impacting public finance management in Zimbabwe.
