17 Feb 2016

North East District commissioner (DC), Mr Keabetswe Lesiela, has lamented lack of maintenance of government facilities in the district.

Addressing heads of departments (HODs) on Monday, Mr Lesiela said the situation was undesirable, especially because government continued to avail funds for maintenance.

He said the state of disrepair of some government offices as well as pool houses cast a bad light on government, hence the need for them to be speedily restored to the condition in which they ought to be.

Pleading with HODs to ensure that the situation did not continue, the DC also asked them to encourage officers occupying pool houses to take care of them so that they could remain habitable for a long time.

In a related matter, Mr Lesiela decried the habit by some departments to keep piles of unserviceable items in their premises, observing that this also contributed to government facilities looking unsightly. He further noted that such goods often attracted thieves.

Mr Lesiela pointed out that in cases of the theft of such goods; it was often difficult for officers to properly and fully account for them since they were no longer reflected in office inventory cards.

The DC also appealed to HODs to help in ensuring that the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) was widely appreciated by all Batswana.

He said the call did not only apply to implementing ministries, but to the wider public service; hence the need for all public officers to each play a role in publicising and promoting the programme.

Still on ESP, Mr Lesiela reminded those in attendance that companies owned by public officers were also free to benefit from ESP projects.

He, however, urged them to comply with the set requirement for them to declare their interests first so as to help guard against incidences of conflict of interest. Ends