24 Nov 2015

Minister of Finance and Development Planning has told Parliament that part of the funding for the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) will be in the budget for 2015/2016 financial year.

Mr Kenneth Matambo said there was not much in terms of projects in ESP which was not already in the development plan.

“Most of what we are talking about in terms of projects is in the development plan. What we are talking about is that let us accelerate the implementation of what we have already agreed as parliament,” he said.

This followed a concern by Gaborone Bonnigton South MP, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe who said there seemed to be lack of understanding of what the ESP was, including lack of understanding among cabinet ministers and even public service.

Mr Gaolathe said the lack of understanding could probably be because of the manner at which the ESP was presented, adding that there was no clarity about the budget and also clarity about what the envisaged outputs were among others.

Therefore, the finance minister explained that the ESP was a continuation of the implementation of National Development Plan 10, which was agreed in parliament as well as the extension of NDP 10 by a year.

As for budget, Mr Matambo said the ESP was an ongoing process, hence he could not talk about figures at infancy stage.

He however said they were busy preparing the 2015/2016 budget which contained  funding for the ESP and would be tabled in parliament. Ends