16 Feb 2016

Member of Parliament for Kgalagadi North, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi has urged other members to educate their constituents and  the nation about the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP).

Debating the 2016/17 Budget Speech Monday, Mr Moipisi said it was disappointing, particularly for the Leader of Opposition, Mr Duma Boko to dismiss the programme.

Consequently, Mr Boko in his response to the budget speech earlier this month had indicated that it was naïve to think that injecting cash into stagnating economy could somehow engineer economic boom.

To that, Mr Moipisi said as the Leader of Opposition, Mr Boko should educate his constituents and other Batswana about the ESP instead of talking ill about it because the programme had been extensively explained to members for them to share information.

In other issues, he expressed concern that some members of the opposition continued to mislead the nation that ministers took their children to private schools because “education in public school was chaotic.” He thus urged them to desist from such allegations but instead show their contribution in improving the education system in the country.

Meanwhile, Mr Moipisi urged government to consider drilling boreholes in about eight out of 14 villages in in his constituency to help residents with water.

He argued that they were faced with serious water shortage and bowsing was inadequate.

Molepolole North MP, Mr Muhammed Khan expressed concern about processes which included management, distribution, accountability of finances which he argued were not adequate.

Mr Khan said there was no prudent management of finances; hence the country was losing a lot of money to other countries. He also alleged that there was no equitable distribution of wealth in the country which he said had to be shared equally within constituencies, especially infrastructural development.

On cost benefit, he indicated that there was need for accounting to show how money had been spent, adding that huge sums of money was spent on education but results continued to be poor.

On the budget, he said he was also not happy with budgetary processes because as legislators representing constituencies they were not included in the processes culminating into the final budget presented in Parliament.

Thus, he suggested that Minister of Finance and Development Planning should look into engaging MPs to participate, particularly at the stage where the budget was discussed by permanent secretaries, saying that would make it easier to have an inclusive budget.

He argued that as MPs they knew priority projects in their particular constituencies to be preferred in their respective areas.
That, he said was because they also consulted with people and made assessment in their respective constituencies.

He also suggested that government should further look into establishing a budgeting office.
Nonetheless, he said government should consider the opposition as the advisory board hence the need to be taken on board and work together on issues of national interest.

Tlokweng MP, Ms Same Bathobakae welcomed the proposed budget for the Ministry of Education and Skills Development.
Ms Bathobakae however said funds allocated to the education ministry should address challenges faced by many schools in the country.

She argued that there was serious shortage of stationery and furniture in schools as well as dilapidated classrooms, a situation she said was not conducive for learning.
 She also suggested that there be continued inspection of property in schools around the country.

Again, she indicated that while she also welcomed the proposed budget for the Ministry of Health, funds should also be used to address challenges in the health sector which included among others uniform, shortage of drugs as well as doctors in clinics. Ends