07 Nov 2017

Government has made significant progress in the execution of Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) projects, says by President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama.  

Delivering the State Of the Nation Address on November 6, President Khama said ESP remained government priority and that they have allocated the programme a budget of P2.2 billion.

“Economic Stimulus Programme achievements during 2016/17 included the award of majority of projects to citizen contractors, the completion of projects and employment creation,” he said.

He also noted that over 80 per cent of the 2016/17 planned ESP projects had been started and some completed.

He added that  they covered the maintenance and expansion of senior and junior secondary schools as well as backlog eradication in the provision of classrooms, teachers quarters and ablution blocks in 139 primary schools countrywide.

Other projects, he said, included the construction of 30 customary courts and minimal peripheral land servicing, adding that there had also been significant progress in the construction of houses for health care workers with 127 houses currently being constructed.

“This translates into a total of 41 contractors having been engaged; thus meeting government’s objective of employing as many small contractors as possible throughout the country,” he added.

President Khama also revealed that 27 clinics would be constructed across the country and that they were at design stage.

“We are also constructing three agricultural service centres,” he said.

At the end of March 2017, he said the number of citizens employed under ESP stood at over 20 000, which was 99.2 per cent of the total number of people employed under the programme.

He added that through the procurement of local products and services, implementation of ESP projects was also further boosting job creation. ENDS