19 Mar 2018

Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Kenneth Matambo on Friday presented supplementary budget proposals of P1 173 190 230 for four government ministries and two departments.

Mr Matambo explained that the supplementary budgets contained P1 066 453 230 in recurrent and P106 737 000 in development expenditures.

He said the funds would be used to cover expenditure shortfalls incurred by the four ministries of Basic Education, Local Government and Rural Development, Health and Wellness, and Agricultural Development and Food

Security, as well as the two independent departments of Parliament and Auditor General in the 2017/18 financial year.

The minister said an additional amount of P5 491 810 was requested for Parliament to augment the original provision under the basic salary and allowances votes. He said the shortfalls under the two accounts were caused by adjustment of salaries and allowances for Members of Parliament which was done after the budget preparation exercise was completed.

Mr Matambo further requested a total supplementary funding of P407 861 370 for Basic Education ministry, explaining that the funds would cater for the shortfall under the basic salary and allowances accounts at headquarters and the Department of Teaching Service Management (DPSM), as well as the shortfall in the Service Charges account of the Department of Secondary Education. “The basic salaries and allowances accounts under headquarters are exhausted due in part to the under-provision for these accounts as well as the four per cent adjustment of salaries and allowances for 2017/18.

Part of the additional funds will also cater for payment of salary and allowances arrears in respect of bursars, following their successful litigation against government with respect to implementation of the Scheme of Service No.21 of 1997,” said the minister.

Mr Matambo also requested additional funding totaling P283 609 940 for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. He said P24 022 030 from this amount was needed to pay for food supplies for primary schools and health facilities while P119 248 520 would augment the Revenue Support Grant to councils. Mr Matambo said the shortfall in food supplies was caused by price increases of Tsabana, Malutu and cooking oil provided to primary schools.

“On the other hand, the shortfall under the Revenue Support Grant account is caused by the payment of newly introduced allowances as well as increases in salaries and allowances of Honourable Councillors,” he said.
He added that the ministry required further sums of P9 601 870 and P10 936 320 to cater for the payment of enhanced salaries and allowances of Dikgosi and Headmen of Arbitration, as well as P119 801 200 to cover shortfalls under the four social welfare cash accounts of Destitute Allowance, Disability Allowance, World War II Veterans Allowance and Old Age Pension Scheme, which were increased by P100 per beneficiary per month effective 1 April 2017.

Mr Matambo further requested a total of P368 288 900 for the Ministry of Health and Wellness to cover for the shortfalls in basic salary and allowances, service charges and medical fees.

For the Office of the Auditor General, the minister requested P1 201 210 to augment provision in the allowances and rent accounts.

Under the development fund, the minister requested an additional sum of P106 737 000 for the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security to finance commitments under the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD).

He said the monies would cater for payment for fertilizers and draught power as well as outstanding payments due to farmers. MPs supported the supplementary budget request by the minister with MP for Shoshong, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele saying it was important for government to pay outstanding amounts due to farmers under the ISPAAD programme, while Nata-Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga said it was important for the money to be released to help government balance its books.

The legislator urged ministries to b udget well in future to avoid recurrence of supplementary budgets.

MP for Okavango, Mr Bagalatia Arone on the other hand asked the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to pay all Headmen of Arbitration their allowances. Ends