01 Mar 2016

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, has requested Parliament to approve over P1.2 billion for development programmes in the 2016/17 financial year.

 Presenting budget proposals for his ministry, Mr Tsogwane said over P612 would be allocated to Ipelegeng programme. 

He also requested, under the development budget, over P276 million for primary schools programme, out of which P153 million would finance projects from the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) while a balance of over P123 million will fund ongoing projects, which started in 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years respectively.

Again, he said over P200 million will fund village infrastructure programme, out of which over P123 million will be used to start ESP projects.

The remaining balance, he said, would finance completion of ongoing projects such as construction of Bobonong and Letlhakeng internal roads and settle final accounts for the recently completed Molepolole bus terminal.

Further, he said he required P90 million for social welfare and development programme will be used to construct houses for destitute persons countrywide.

Again, the minister requested over P38 million to be used for constructing 30 tribal administration offices under the ESP while the balance will be used to pay final account for projects that had been completed.

Remaining funds of over P1.6 million, he said, would be shared by Remote Area Development Programme, consultancies and Rural Administration Centre programmes.

Under recurrent budget, the minister has proposed over P4bn mainly to cover revenue support grants to district or urban councils, social protection programmes, people with acute disabilities and food supplies for primary schools and health facilities.

From the proposed budget, he explained that the Department of Local Government, Finance and Procurement Services would get the highest share of over P3.4bn. The amount, he said, included over P3bn for local authorities’ revenue support grant and over P305 million for the supplementary feeding programme.

The minister has also requested over P917 million for the Department of Social Protection to cover expenses for orphan care programmes for over P281 million as well as old age pension for over P451.

Destitute cash allowance, he said, would be funded at a cost of over P62 million.

He has also proposed over P376 million for the Department of Tribal Administration, out of which over P78 million will be used to pay allowances for headmen of arbitration. Ends