01 Feb 2015

Budget time has come. Expectations are high and speculation is rife as to what to expect from the budget speech.  And today, all attention will be focused on just this special brief case- that of Minister of Finance and Development Planning Mr Kenneth Matambo.

His brief case which carries estimates of anticipated revenue and expenditures for the financial year 2015/2016 has for four years in a row exhibited pockets of deficit due to the economic melt-down but last year in the 2013/2014 it resumed a steady balance.

BOPA reporter, Calviniah Kgautlhe spoke to different institutions and organisations to get their expectation of this year’s budget presentation.

Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) chief executive officer, Ms Maria Machailo-Ellis says due to recession which has for about four years as reflected in the past budgets showed deficit, revenue was insufficient to cover expenditure.

“This year just like in the last financial year we expect the budget to be balanced if not modest surplus because a balanced budget shows that a country is in firm control of its finances.”

She says BOCCIM expects the focus of the budget to be on job creation, “We expect the 2015/2016 budget to focus on major initiatives directed at creating a positive business environment hence a creation of job opportunities.”

She says as the private sector they are constantly lobbying government to facilitate private sector to create jobs, “We want government to continue promoting ease of doing business in Botswana, to remove red tape so that more investors can come and do business in Botswana.”

Further, she says she expects budget speech to reflect automation or computerisation of services offered by government to create an enabling business environment adding that payment of taxes, registration of companies, submission of tenders and many other related modalities should be done online as she says that this will aid creation of a robust business environment.

On infrastructure development, she appreciates government efforts, “when we look at development budget, there is serious focus in developing infrastructure necessary for creating a conducive business environment but the challenge is that government fails to identify priority areas,” she says.

She expects the budget to reflect progress on Public Private Partnership (PPP) to forge forward national development.

She says where government falls short on development of infrastructure including sustainable supply of energy and water it should consider partnering with the private sector rather than deferring projects, “government should develop capacity- expertise in handling such huge business transactions.”

Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) executive secretary Ms Bagaisi Mabilo on the other hand hopes Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) will be allocated budget under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

She says this will enable active participation in affairs of the country more so that they enhance democracy by providing checks and balances. Ms Mabilo said since Botswana was declared a middle income economy in recent years, international donors have stopped funding NGOs locally which resulted in some projects failing.

“When they stopped funding most projects were put on hold and some stopped altogether,” she said. She said for this reason NGOs became dormant hence affecting their service.

 Meanwhile deputy chairperson of the public service bargaining council and also Botswana Teachers Union president Mr Johannes Tshukudu said the council expects Minister Matambo to continue upholding the council constitution.

“In terms of the set-up of the bargaining council we do not expect the minister to announce any salary adjustments for civil servants. We expect it to come from Permanent Secretary to the President.”

Mr Tshukudu says they expect government to distribute resources according to different ministries’ responsibilities in terms of contributing to the economy adding that education should continue to be allocated a lion’s share of the budget followed by the Ministry of Local Government and then Ministry of Health. ENDS