14 Aug 2016

Serving members of the Botswana Defence Force have been paid their forfeited leave days.

Answering a question on behalf of Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Eric Molale who is the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration said the percentage base charged was the equivalence applicable to all public officers’ monthly income taxes.

He said the exercise targeted in service members because retirees and those who were terminated were paid all outstanding leave days. Minister Molale further said the exercise to repay forfeited leave days had no link to the sale of Botswana Telecommunications Corporation shares, but it was rather a correction of an omission and payment to those entitled. He said neither Ministry of Defence, Justice and  Security, nor the BDF went out to entice officers, adding that information on BTC shares was in public domain.

Furthermore, he said the decision whether to purchase shares or not was a personal choice of individual officers. Ramotswa, Member of Parliament Mr Samuel Rantuana, had wanted the minister to state whether members of the Botswana Defence Force who were still in service had been paid their leave days that were forfeited, if so what percentage tax charge have they been charged.

The MP further asked if retirees and  and those whose service had been terminated for various reasons including medical had been paid as well.MP Rantuana further wanted to know if the payments were motivated by the sale of shares at Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited; and whether the officers were enticed into purchasing such shares. ENDS