26 Feb 2017

For the financial year 2016/17, 31 projects have been approved for the South East District, Parliament was informed.The Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu said this in Parliament on Thursday, on behalf of the Minister of Youth

Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development. Mr Batshu said 28 of these projects had already been funded and the remaining three would also receive their funding before the end of February.

“No plots have been allocated to youth for business. However, four youth enterprises have been allocated market stalls in Ramotswa for operation through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural development,” he said.

Minister Batshu further said in addition, land measuring 3245.52 square metres located at Letlapeng, Lot 9201 Tlokweng, had been allocated to the youth ministry for establishment of factory shells for youth businesses.

He said budgetary limitations however continued to place constraints on the ministry’s ability to develop such plots as quickly as they might have wished.

Responding to a question from Member of Parliament for Ramotswa, Mr Samuel Rantuana, the minister said the plan was to provide basic amenities such as water and ablution blocks and then lease out these to young people.

MP Rantuana had asked the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development to state the number of youth projects out of the 1 032 awarded in 2016 that were from the South East District.

The Ramotswa legislator also wanted to know the number of plots awarded to the youth to help them establish viable projects in the last two years in the South East District. ENDS