USDP majority parliament passes trimmed budget for next government
Parliament has passed the K23.62 trillion (US$18.28 billion) budget for the 2016-17 financial year starting in March. In effect, this means that defeated members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party government have bequeathed spending patterns and constraints to the incoming government elected last November.
Review committees fast-tracked the budget bill through parliament following its submission on 22 December, recommending few cuts. Some government departments, including defence, sustained no reductions at all to their proposed budget. In all, K632 billion was shaved off the appropriations bill.
