24 Nov 2015

MP for Lentsweletau-Mmopane, Mr Vincent Seretse says the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) will help accelerate employment creation hence the need for Batswana to embrace it.

Responding to SONA, MP Seretse said backlog of government projects was across the entire country, in construction, manufacturing or tourism.

Mr Seretse said the programme would benefit the country with regard to import substitution, adding that the import bill was way too high.

“The government can only create opportunities under ESP and Batswana should take them up,” he said.

He said he was thankful for the provision of water to Mmopane residents, noting that the area was hard hit by water shortage. However, he called on the minister to ensure the water master plan was accelerated.

He further called for the construction of a police station and gravelling of Mahetlwe-Molepolole road.

Meanwhile, the MP for Molepolole North, Mr Mahommed Khan called on government to improve service delivery and management systems, which he said have failed Batswana for many years. He said for many years, government has had noble ideas that were never executed well.

He asked government to construct a police station in Molepolole, noting that the village population and its outskirts demand that there be a fully-fledged police station to service such a huge population.

He said the current police station was not well equipped and unable to do proper policing. He also said the Scottish Livingstone Hospital was not fully resourced in terms of amenities.

Also responding to SONA, the Mahalapye West MP, Mr Joseph Molefhe said regarding employment creation government is on the right direction. He said the envisaged ESP would create many job opportunities for Batswana.

In this regard, he said public procurement should be directed to Batswana who are in manufacturing and would end up employing many people, especially young people.

He said the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) was capable to grow local economies in different districts.

Mr Molefhe further called for servicing of land in his constituency for smooth implementation of the ESP, noting that most industrial plots were not serviced.

Mr Molefhe also called on government to consider allowing Mahalapye residents to make use of the agricultural reserves near Mahalapye as well as decentralisation of payments for Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development because farmers take long to get payment and end up developing resistance towards selling to government. Ends