14 Apr 2013

Gaborone Central MP, Mr Dumelang Saleshando has decried foreigners' dominance of the country’s private sector.

Contributing to the debate on the mid-term review of the National Development Plan (NDP) 10 in Parliament last week, Mr Saleshando said companies owned by foreign governments, particularly China, had been given preference over local ones.

He said in handing over the private sector to Chinese government-owned companies, government had in essence handed over the sector to the Chinese government.

Furthermore, Mr Saleshando said the strategy adopted by the government of putting the private sector in the forefront of efforts to resuscitate the economy would not bear fruit. He said no country faced with high poverty rates and unprecedented levels of unemployment had ever achieved anything as a result of using such a strategy.

He said government led investments were the engine that could be relied upon to turn the situation around.

For his part, Lobatse MP, Mr Nehemiah Modubule criticised the government’s approach to poverty eradication, saying the focus on the Ipelegeng programme would not get the country anywhere.

Instead, Mr Modubule implored the government to consider means of effectively using the natural resources in the country to better the lives of its people.

Mr Modubule also underscored the need for a conducive business environment. He said small local businesses were not protected from the competition waged by big chain stores.

Mr Modubule said the government appears to be more interested in balancing the budget; wondering how the government would be able to raise the necessary revenue if it did not embark on projects capable of stimulating the economy.

Still during the same debate, the MP for Boteti North, Mr Slumber Tsogwane called on the government to speedily address the issue of human/wildlife conflict.

In addition, MP Tsogwane observed that it was essential that there should be sustainable use of the environment.

He expressed concern about the damage caused by veld fires; noting that though fire breaks had been put in place to control veld fire outbreaks, they did not effectively address the problem.

On an unrelated matter, the MP urged the government to address the income disparities between rural and urban communities.  ENDS