15 Feb 2018

Bobonong legislator, Mr Shaw Kgathi says the 2018/2019 budget proposal is consistent with government priorities, as outlined in the Botswana Democratic Party’s pledge card of making job creation number one priority.

He told Parliament on Wednesday that it was also in line with taking Batswana out of poverty, increasing education funding, eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and fighting crime and all its manifestations.

“It is a strict reflection of what is outlined in the BDP manifesto in terms of what needs to be done to address developmental challenges,” he said.

Commenting on the 2018/2019 budget proposal, Mr Kgathi applauded Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Kenneth Matambo for the budget proposal.

During global recession in 2008, he said the country was faced with difficult choices and forced to make tough decisions to safe the country from effects of financial crisis, but Minister Matambo’s financial and economic prudence saved the country from effects of the crisis.
He also commended President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama and Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi for their great leadership, saying through their guidance and support, Mr Matambo was able to excel in his quest to ensuring prudent management of the country’s finances.

Meanwhile, Bobonong MP expressed gratitude for all the development projects that government undertook in his constituency.

For that reason, he said he found the 2018/2019 budget proposal  relevant to his constituency.

Such projects, he said, included internal roads, tarring of 50km Bobonong/Tsetsejwe road, electrification of 10 villages in Bobirwa and funding of Thune Dam.

The projects, he said, had also resulted in job creation for his constituents and reduction of poverty in the area from 32.2 per cent to 13.9 per cent.

He also thanked Mr Matambo for putting more emphasis on implementing several infrastructural projects and for continued investment in social development, such as education and health facilities.
In pursuant to Section 53, Sub-section 2 of the Income Tax Act, Mr Matambo has tabled The Botswana-Malta Double Taxation

Avoidance Agreement Order 2017, being Statutory Instrument No. 157 of 2017. Commenting, Specially Elected MP, Mr Eric Molale said the 2018/2019 budget proposal was impressive and envied by most countries in the Southern African region.

He encourage all those who would be responsible for implementing the budget to ensure they do so responsibly and with utmost accountability, adding that implementation of the budget should also be done ‘with better coordination, feedback and even regular report-backs to Parliament.’

During Zimbabwean President, Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s two-day state visit in Botswana, he said his counterpart from Zimbabwe also said the budget was remarkable as it covered a lot of issues, as well as an ordinary man on the street.

However, he said all Minister Matambo’s achievement had been made possible by President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s prudent leadership, ‘who ensured that we raised our head above the water during those tough times of the global economic crisis, which he met when he assumed power in 2008.’

Through President Khama’s prudent leadership, he said employees did not lose their jobs during global economic recession, but instead he provided a recession relief allowance to cushion low income employees from the aftermath of the recession.

Furthermore, Mr Molale said government, through President Khama’s leadership, had also managed to achieve its set priorities and delivered on its promises to Batswana.

Some of the achievements, he said, included provision of roads, dams, education and health services for all, poverty eradication and reviving culture. Ends