17 Mar 2015

Parliament, on March 16, approved the 2015/16 budget estimates for the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama, had asked Parliament to approve P626.7 million as recurrent and P343.85 million for development budget for the financial year beginning in April. 

Talking about development budget, he said P30.35 million of the P343.85 million had been allocated to ministry headquarters to be used for different projects. The completion of the Integrated Wildlife Management System had been allocated P950 000 while the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Aircraft is to cost P24 million. 

Minister Khama said P1.5 million was for assistance from the German Development Service for the Department of Forestry and Range Resources.  The minister further said P500 000 was requested for carrying out inventories on Persistent Organic Pollutants and P3.4 million is to be spent on Tourism Land Bank project. 

Minister Khama has said another P90.5 million from total ministerial development budget has been allocated to DWNP and a bulk of it, P79.5 million was to go into law enforcement project. 

The remaining amount has been split between the Human Wildlife Coexistence project (P5 million), construction of DWNP staff housing in Sedudu (P4 million) and P2 million went to management plans for protected areas. 

Minister Khama further said the Meteorological Services was to receive P7 million development funds for construction of office and staff houses at Ncojane and capacity building project between Swedish and Botswana governments. 

The minister further requested P208 million development budget for Waste Management and Pollution Control. 

This would be used for National Rural Sanitation Programme which requires P200 million for Kasane-Kazungula Sewarage Scheme project. 

Urban Sewarage requires P1 million for Gaborone Sewarage Infrastructure project and Pollution, Prevention and Control has been allocated P7 million for the development of Waste Policy and Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Act and Upgrading of Air Quality Monitoring Stations. 

The Department of National Museum and Monuments has been allocated P8 million for the galleries and reception facilities project. 

Minister Khama also requested Parliament to approve P626.7 million for recurrent budget to be shared amongst the departments in the ministry. 

Of this amount, the ministry headquarters has been allocated P192 million and a bulk, 47 per cent or P89 million, was to be channeled to Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO). 

DWNP was to receive P218.3 million and Department of Tourism was also to receive P16.6 million. 

Meteorological Services was to receive P53.3 million and Waste Management and Pollution Control has been allocated P20.8 million. 

The Department of Forestry and Range Resources has been allocated P83 million while Environmental Affairs had to receive P21 million. 

National Museum and Monuments department has been given P21.5 million.

Meanwhile Minister Khama has said an ivory statue was to be erected at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport saying it would showcase wildlife resources that Botswana conserves for humanity. 

Talking about tourism, the minister said government remained committed to expanding the sector as one of the areas to diversify the economy. 

He however said the tourism sector has faced challenges such as lack of up to date statistics to assist in making informed decisions, air access, passenger infrastructure and turnaround permits for investors. 

Minister Khama said there has been an increase of citizen participation in tourism as out of the 1037 licensed facilities, 654 are wholly citizen owned, 153 joint ventures and 230 are non-citizens. 

On wildlife, the minister said the hunting moratorium currently in place had started to show positive results in terms of reversing some of the wildlife declines that have been observed in the country. 

He said an aerial survey conducted in 2014 has revealed that some species like lechwe, giraffe and impala had begun to recover. 

The minister said his ministry was however concerned about the number of human wildlife conflict incidences. 

He said several factors hampered efforts to mitigate these conflicts and the expeditious payment of compensation. 

These, he said, included the reluctance of farmers to adopt appropriate mitigation methods, an expectation that compensation would be paid when good husbandry practices have not been adopted and a shortage of resources and manpower to cover vast areas under the jurisdiction of his ministry. 

The minister said the P4.56 million made available for compensation during the 2014/15 financial year was far less than the required amount and many farmers have not yet been paid.  ENDS