23 Aug 2017

The Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) is the government’s flagship programme aimed at boosting economic growth, promoting diversification and employment creation.

Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Alfred Madigele said this when launching the ESP projects phase II at Gopong in the Good Hope Sub-district on Monday.

Dr Madigele said the ESP was meant to boost economic growth through increased government spending in identified sectors, and to diversify the economy and accelerate employment creation.

He said ESP was a response to the current unfavourable economic climate following the world economic recession of 2009/10 which had resulted in job losses, not only in the country but the world at large.

He said he was confident that with all the construction that would be happening throughout the country, a lot of construction companies would be owned by Batswana and would be able to operate all over the country.

Dr Madigele said they would ensure that with all the construction going on, materials were sourced from local producers and suppliers, and that other businesses in the country would benefit.

He said attention had been given to the geographical spread of the projects so that all sectors and regions of the country were impacted by ESP.

He said under the construction industry there was backlog eradication that emanated from the fact that over the years government had not been able to build more classrooms.

He said government aimed at enriching citizen contractors by unbundling huge projects through ESP.

Dr Madigele commended and praised the Good Hope Sub-district leadership and its councillors for cooperation and teamwork and encouraged them to keep the spirit.

However, Good Hope Sub-district council chairperson, Ms Gladys Molefe appealed to local contractors to pull up their socks to start projects in time and also finish them on time.

She advised women to rise up and form contractors to benefit from ESP.

She congratulated the Good Hope Sub-district senior assistant council chairperson, Mr Robert Rabasimane for good leadership and cooperation.

She appealed to the council secretary to promote him.

The councillor for Gopong, Mr Daniel Motlhabankwe said the programme would help Gopong Primary School to accommodate more pupils and cut down on the long distances they travelled to Digawana.

He said classrooms would be built in Gopong and other villages in the Good Hope Sub-district and were expected to be completed next year January. ENDS