13 Feb 2018

 The opposition Alliance for Progressives (AP) leader, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe says government has failed to adequately address challenges facing the economy. 

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, the Gaborone Bonnington South MP said the challenges included rising unemployment, income and wealth inequalities as well as an undiversified economy.

He said unemployment had grown over the years with the formal employment sector increasing by just 1.5 per cent per annum between 2009 and 2015 against a population natural rate of 1.9 per cent per annum. 

“Our economy continues to be a mono-economy despite a raft of government initiatives over the years starting in the 1970s. The Industrial Development Policy (IDP), Financial Assistance Policy (FAP), Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) and the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP),” said Mr Gaolathe when debating the 2018/19 budget speech. He added that income and wealth inequalities still persist. 

“The majority of our people continue to wallow in the hardships of poverty especially in the forgotten rural areas and the ghettos,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe said the nation should take advantage of opportunities offered by technological change, urbanisation and greater global connectivity to achieve progress.

He said the focus should be put on foundational capabilities, including skills and the business environment, for Botswana to be globally competitive in order to generate more jobs for sustained periods.

He said if the AP were to gain state power they would look outward for investments in emerging markets, product exports to both developing and developed countries, joint investment with the outside world and joint investment with other African countries to build and maintain infrastructure that creates and sustains intra-Africa trade and investment.

“We the progressives will focus on sectors where Botswana can build global competitiveness at a scale to stand out from other countries, both on the continent and beyond,” he added. 

Mr Gaolathe said the sectors where Botswana has an advantage over other countries included mining, tourism and agriculture.

He said his party would enhance the participation of Batswana in the diamond value chain and other minerals. 

“Our objective in the agricultural sector is to develop a full cattle value chain in cattle growing regions, develop large scale arable agriculture and food production value chains as well as bring small farmers into the mainstream food production value chain,” he added. Furthermore, he said his party believed that investing aggressively in the finance and business sector would generate thousands of employment opportunities. 

He further said his party would invest in a health care system that offered quality and timely wellness and medical care within cost as well as a transportation system that is safe, reliable and affordable. Ends