28 Mar 2017

The University of Botswana is to be allocated P703 million out of the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology’s total recurrent budget of P4.2 billion.
Presenting the budget proposals before Parliament recently, Minister Dr Alfred Madigele said the amount of P703 million was part of the P1.5 billion  allocated to eight parastatals under his ministry.
Other parastatals include Botswana International University of Science and Technology which will receive P407 million, Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning to be allocated P108.7 million  while Botswana Institute of Technology Research and Innovation would get P89 million. Botswana Qualifications Authority has been funded at P55.9 million  , Human Resource and Development Council is to receive P49 million while P29.2 million  has been requested for Botswana Innovation Hub and Botswana Accountancy College is to be allocated P14.2 million.
Dr Madigele has requested P2.4 billion or 57.4 per cent of the ministry’s recurrent budget for tertiary education financing, out of which P2.3 billion  or 97.7 per cent has been proposed for student financing and the remaining 2.3 per cent of the budget will cover operational costs for the department.
The minister requested P224.1 million  or 5.3 per cent of the recurrent budget for the Department of Teacher Training and Technical Education to cover training and development of lecturers and trainers as well as operational expenditure for technical colleges.
As for the Department of Research, Science and Technology, he requested P7.5 million  which is 0.2 per cent of the Ministry’s recurrent budget estimate.
The amount is required for operational expenditure to support the department in facilitating improved capacity in research, science, technology and innovation.
Dr Madigele further asked Parliament to approve P12.8 million for the Radiation Protection Inspectorate which would be used to support the department’s mandate of promoting public safety and security in the use of nuclear technologies.
As for the development budget, Dr Madigele proposed P120 .4 million out of which the Department of Research, Science and Technology and BITRI would share an amount of P63.9 million  or 53.2 per cent of the ministry’s development budget to be used for research based projects including the Energy, Information and Communications Technology and Electronics Research Studies as well as the Kgalagadi Sand Building Block/Brick.
BIH had been allocated P36.7 million or 30.5 per cent for the ongoing construction of the Icon Building.
Dr Madigele also proposed P11. 3 million for upgrading of the Local Area Network for the colleges of education and technical colleges and procurement of some equipment for Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology.
He said the remaining P8.5  million or seven per cent of the development budget would be allocated to the Department of Radiation Protection and Inspection for the two projects of Radioactive Material Border Detection System and the Orphan Radioactive Storage Facility. ENDS