10 Mar 2016

Parliament has approved over P8 million for the Ministry of Lands and Housing’s recurrent budget and over P910 million for development budget for the financial year 2016/17.

Presenting his ministry's budget proposal in Parliament on Wednesday, the Minister of Lands and Housing, Mr Prince Maele said the ministry’s total budget estimates for 2016/17 financial year amounted to over P1 billion, a budget which is higher than the current financial year’s budget by 4.7 percent.

Of the proposed development budget, a total of P354.2 million was earmarked for the completion of some LAPCAS programmes, which include the national land registration, land information system and sorting of records.

He also noted that the sum of P338.4 million of the budget has been allocated to the ongoing land servicing projects, while P272.9 million has been allocated to projects under the ESP, which include housing projects, land servicing projects and land boards offices.

As for the proposed recurrent budget, a total of P449.7 million,  which represents 54 per cent of the recurrent budget, is for revenue support grant for the 12 land boards and their subordinate authorities, while the remaining P383.6 million which represents 46 per cent of the recurrent budget, is for the ministry departments.

Meanwhile, for land administration issues, the minister said the national physical development plan has commenced and would be delivered in a period of two and a half years.

“I wish to indicate that the objective is now to develop a Botswana National Spatial Development Framework which will provide a holistic approach to all physical planning in Botswana,” said Mr Maele.

He told parliament that it is at the completion of this framework, where it is expected that the National Settlement Policy, Regional Plans, Settlement Development Plans and all other multi-sectoral plans will take guidance.Furthermore, he said the ministry continued to come up with initiatives that respond to government objectives, noting that the eradication of abject poverty, creation of jobs, and improvement of livelihoods were still a priority to the settlement planning approach.

He added that the ministry embarked on the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme that aimed at improving living conditions of the urban populace in terms of housing conditions and livelihoods.The programme promotes the concept of global Sustainable Development Goal that strives to attain sustainable cities and communities by 2030. Ends