02 Feb 2015

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development has been allocated a bigger share of the recurrent budget as government continues to show commitment to increase education funding. 

Presenting the 2015/16 budget proposals in Parliament on Monday (February 2), the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Kenneth Matambo proposed P36.7 billion as recurrent budget with the education ministry getting P10.31 billion or 28.1 per cent of the total amount. 

The amount allocated to the ministry would be P512.49 million more than the current financial year’s revised budget. 

Minister Matambo said the bulk of the money would go towards student bursaries for post-secondary education at P2.25 billion, subventions to government supported institutions such as the University of Botswana, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) and others at P1.2 billion. 

The amount would also go towards levels of operations within the teaching staff estimated to cost P644 million, food and service charges for secondary schools allocated P342.63 million and In-service training funded at P235.83 million. 

HIV and AIDS recieved the bulk of the Ministry of Health, which was allocated P5.67 billion or 15.5 per cent of the recurrent budget. 

“The provision for health spending is mainly to address HIV/AIDS scourge, including elimination of mother-to-child transmission at a combined total of P1.11 billion, Medical Aid requirements for both Central and Local Government employees as P261.75 million, fees for medical specialists at P255.42 million as well as grants and subventions to mission hospitals and Non-Governmental Rehabilitation Centres at P141.59 million,” the minister said. 

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development was allocated P5.2 billion or 14.2 per cent which will mainly cover revenue support grants to district and urban councils at P3.11 billion, social protection programmes at P472.82 million comprising provision for Old Age Pension, Destitute Allowances, allowances for people with acute disabilities and World War veterans. 

Minister Matambo also said the provision also covered food supplies for primary schools and clinics at P379.12 million, transfers under Orphan Care Programme at P350 million as well as maintenance of government facilities at P33.64 million. 

The Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security is to receive P5.04 billion and will mainly cater for maintenance of aircraft, vehicles, infrastructure and equipment for various security agencies at P375.21 million, allowances for security personnel as P771.76 million, vehicle replacement requirements for the BDF, the police and prisons services at P204.65 million and special expenditure for replacement of aircraft, civil defence equipment and computers at P113.16 million. 

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has been allocated P2.08 billion of which, fuel and lubricants are funded at P345 million. 

Road maintenance has been allocated P334 million and P224.61 million for purchase of servers hosting government computer systems and maintenance of computers. 

Minister Matambo said a provision of P223.38 million has been made to cater for subventions to various parastatals under the ministry such as Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) at P159.49 million, Botswana Optic Fibre Network (BOFINET) at P34.7 million and Central Transport Organisation (CTO) at P52 million to cater for vehicle, plant maintenance and sub-contracted repairs. 

The Ministry of Agriculture is allocated P1.07 billion of which P99.41 million is for the transformation of the Botswana College of Agriculture to Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. 

Vehicle replacement is allocated P52.49 million, maintenance of government assets at P45.10 million and subvention to Food Technology Research Services formerly National Food Technology Research Centre (NAFTRC) at P20.98 million. 

Minister Matambo said the remaining ministries and departments would share a balance of P7.33 billion to cover their day to day operational costs. 

Meanwhile, the minister has proposed a development budget of P12.93 billion for 2015/16 financial year, bringing total expenditure to P54.15 billion and this has resulted with an estimate budget surplus of P1.23 billion. 

The minister said projected total revenues and grants for 2015/16 amount to P55.38 billion of which mineral revenue accounts for 34.4 per cent, Customs and Excise for 29.5 per cent while Non-Mineral Income Tax accounts for 17.5 per cent. 

Mr Matambo said mineral revenues are projected to grow by 10.04 per cent from P17.24 billion to P19.03 billion in 2015/16. 

“This positive growth is however likely to be undermined by the downside risks associated with growth prospects in the global economy, resulting in reduced revenues, specifically from diamonds,” he said. ENDS