Government performance across Ministries and Departments has improved to an overall score of 48 per cent in the 2025/2026 financial year, up from 22 per cent recorded in the first quarter.
Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini announced the results during a Press Briefing at the Cabinet Offices on Wednesday while presenting the 2025/26 Annual Performance Synopsis prepared by the Policy and Programme Coordination Unit (PPCU).
The Prime Minister said the report sets out progress made in implementing the Nkwe Programme of Action and reflects the government’s commitment to accountability and to keeping the nation informed on delivery against national priorities. 
He stated that the assessment was conducted using a three-pillar framework, with Execution of Plans weighted at 80 per cent, Quality of Execution at 15 per cent and Timeliness of Reporting at 5 per cent.
While acknowledging constraints relating to funding, external dependencies and legislative processes, the Prime Minister said the report provides a credible picture of implementation and service delivery across Government.
According to the synopsis, His Majesty’s Correctional Services recorded the highest overall performance at 75 per cent. It was followed by the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs at 60 per cent, the Ministry of Health at 58 per cent and the Prime Minister’s Office at 56 per cent.
The Prime Minister said these institutions performed above the national average and their results demonstrate that effective planning, strong leadership and disciplined execution can produce meaningful results even in a constrained operating environment.
The assessment also measured progress against the six objectives of the Programme of Action. Social Protection and Security was the best-performing objective with a score of 56 per cent.
Food Sovereignty and Sustainable Development followed this at 55 per cent and Economic Growth at 50 per cent.
Human Capital Development, which covers education and health, recorded the lowest performance at 37 per cent.
The PM said the low score in Human Capital Development highlights the need to intensify delivery in these critical sectors.
The report further noted several implementation challenges that continue to affect service delivery.
These include delayed budget releases, procurement bottlenecks, inter-ministerial coordination challenges, legislative delays, dependence on external funding partners and weaknesses in planning and reporting processes.
The Prime Minister said these factors contributed significantly to slower implementation of several planned outputs across ministries.
On compliance, the report found that only six ministries submitted their annual performance reports within the prescribed timelines, while sixteen submitted after the deadline.
The premier stated that delayed reporting weakens Government’s ability to monitor implementation in real time, make informed decisions and undertake early corrective action.
Despite the challenges, the Prime Minister said the government registered several important achievements during the year, with details fully outlined in the synopsis.
He noted that the increase from 22 per cent in the first quarter to 48 per cent annually demonstrates that ministries accelerated implementation as the year progressed.
However, he added that the score also underscores the need for renewed urgency if the government is to achieve the ambitious targets set under the Nkwe Programme of Action ahead of the country’s 2029 development goals.
To address the gaps identified, the Prime Minister confirmed that the government has accepted the recommendations contained in the report and will implement a comprehensive programme of reforms.
The reforms will include accelerating the implementation of resolutions adopted during the 2026 Cabinet Retreat, prioritising high-impact Programme of Action targets and ring-fencing resources for strategic projects.
The government will also strengthen quarterly performance monitoring, improve inter-ministerial coordination and enforce consequence management to reward excellence and address underperformance.
In addition, the Prime Minister said efforts will be made to enhance the quality, timeliness and alignment of performance reporting through mandatory reporting workshops and the adoption of SMART planning across Ministries.
