29 Mar 2015

With the current budgetary challenges faced by the government and its public enterprises (PEs) including Statistics Botswana, all PEs are obliged to contain costs and ensure prudent use of available resources.

Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Kenneth Matambo said this in Parliament on March 26 responding to a question from MP for Goodhope-Mabule, Mr James Mathokgwane.

Mr Matambo said during the transformation process of the then Central Statistics Office (CSO) into an autonomous organisation, that is, Statistics Botswana (SB), the structure of SB was crafted such that support services such as cleaning and security shall be outsourced, while some officers would be authorised to drive the organisation vehicles as per the terms and conditions of service.

He said the latter implied reducing the number of drivers required on a permanent basis. The minister explained that operating within the given financial constraints or budget ceiling by any organisation should not necessarily be termed broke but rather a prudent way of managing available resources.

He said the decision to outsource non-core services was taken as a way of enhancing organisational efficiency and growing the private sector at the same time. “Further, during the transition of the organisation it was agreed that while preparing for the outsourcing, existing and willing support service staff within CSO be offered a 24 to 36 months contract employment at SB,” he said.

Regarding engagement of staff during the transformation, Minister Matambo said meetings were held to inform all affected employees on the condition of their engagement if they were to move over to SB.

He said all staff members were addressed by the ministry officials to highlight implications of their engagement including those engaged on contract.

“Therefore, the decision to offer contracts was implemented after full consultation with staff and in this regard, a transformation consultative staff committee was established which discussed all staff matters during transition.

The committee reported directly to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning at the time. An elected representative of support staff was a member of this committee together with representative from other cadres,” he said.

The minister said all former CSO employees who were offered employment were given an option of choosing whether to be employed by SB or remain with government and be redeployed to other ministries and departments.

“This exercise of redeployment to other ministries was later carried out for those who did not qualify to be moved over to SB. The offer letters had a clear option and staff had to indicate their acceptance or otherwise in writing. In an effort to minimise loss of employment, management of SB considered some of the employees for temporary engagement in current projects and will continue to assist the remaining to be engaged in other upcoming projects within the organisation,” he said.

Mr Matambo said all concerned staff whose contracts were elapsing were duly notified in formal meetings held in October 2014, followed by formal letters reminding them of the end of their contracts. He said the commissioner of labour was consulted in November 2014 who advised that the organisation should abide by the terms of contracts.

MP Mathokgwane had asked the minister to brief parliament on the looming retrenchment or non-renewal of contracts for handymen and drivers at SB taking into consideration what prompted the retrenchments and who would perform the duties at SB.
Mr Mathokgwane also wanted the minister to explain whether SB was broke and whether there were no any other opinions other than retrenchments or non-renewal of contracts available to SB. ENDS