29 May 2016

Clerk of National Assembly, Ms Barbara Dithapo has told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that they will in future capacitate Parliament with staff to achieve their mandate.

Appearing before the PAC on May 25, she said they were currently working with the Welsh Parliament through the twinning agreements to see how they can improve.

She said the British Council was in the process of drafting terms of agreement with regards to how they can assist Botswana Parliament with requisite skills to deal with issues of facilitation of national budget and drafting of bills.She said currently Parliament relied on the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning staff in the facilitation of national budget and Attorney General’s Chambers legal expertise in drafting of bills.

Ms Dithapo who was responding to Bonnington South legislature, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe said with regards to establishment of Parliamentary Service Commission, Parliament discussed the issue with a view to have powers to manage its own support services.

Mr Gaolathe had wanted to know if Parliament had sufficient support services that could assist Members with Bill drafting and facilitation of national budget.

She said during the 10^th Parliament the issue was resuscitated and the answer was provided that the bill was still being drafted and was still to be discussed during the 11^th Parliament.

“It is also our wish to have a situation whereby we have various Parliamentary support services that we are able to manage,” she said.

Asked by the Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse why they had no development budget for the year 2015/16, she said most of the projects they had were ongoing.

She said because of the financial situation, only maintenance work of existing buildings was undertaken. Ends