Youth Forum Fuels Budget Debate

Zimbabwe’s Youth Inclusive Budget Conference has produced concrete proposals to influence the 2026 national budget, pushing for increased youth funding, taxation reforms and accountable resource allocation across key sectors (image source)

Youth leaders and parliamentarians say the second Zimbabwe Youth Inclusive Budget Conference (YIBC) has strengthened national budget discussions after two days of policy proposals focused on increasing funding for youth programmes in the 2026 budget. Held at the new Parliament building in Mt Hampden, the conference produced a unified set of recommendations that officials say will shape parliamentary scrutiny and Treasury allocations ahead of the budget process.

More than 500 delegates from all 10 provinces — including youth activists, civil-society organisations, development partners and legislators — presented sector-focused submissions covering taxation, employment, health, education and climate resilience. One of the key proposals calls for higher taxation on foreign companies, with revenue ring-fenced for youth empowerment, environmental protection and health initiatives.

Parliamentary Youth Caucus chair Stanley Sakupwanya told delegates he was satisfied with the outcomes, noting the proposals represent technical contributions that should guide fiscal planning rather than being viewed solely as political advocacy. Organisers submitted a consolidated report capturing youth priorities, together with a proposed financing framework that includes domestic revenue measures and targeted development-partner support.

Budget analysts and youth advocates welcomed the shift toward actionable, costed measures such as tax incentives to support youth-owned start-ups, conditional vocational-training grants and dedicated funding streams for youth climate-adaptation initiatives. Governance experts cautioned that monitoring and accountability systems will be key to ensuring parliamentary commitments translate into disbursements and measurable improvements on the ground.

The YIBC draws on regional models for participatory budgeting to improve transparency and responsiveness. Delegates emphasised the need to institutionalise youth engagement in the national budget calendar so recommendations are considered consistently each year. They also called for better coordination between line ministries and local authorities to ensure budgeted resources reach community-level projects in a timely manner.

“The second edition of the YIBC produced a consolidated set of recommendations that will shape parliamentary budget scrutiny and ministerial allocations.” — Stanley Sakupwanya