13 Feb 2019

- Faster growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is key to expanding the country’s economy and strengthening its fiscal conditions, says the Sefhare/Ramokgonami legislator Ms Dorcas Makgato.

Responding to the 2019/2020 budget proposal, Ms Makgato highlighted an increase in GDP per capita would improve government finances that would translate into an increase in living standards.

She said a high GDP would also mean that government would spend less on income support and unemployment benefits, hence a decrease in the budget deficit, resulting in government spending more on investing into the economy.

This, she said, would enable higher rates of economic growth in the long term and could lead to lower unemployment rates as more manufacturing industries would take on more workers to produce more goods.

Ms Makgato stated that a high GDP per capita was good for the country, labelling it as a measurable indicator that could illustrate a clear economic growth pattern.

She applauded government efforts in achieving significant strides with respect to control of inflation and employment creation over the years, as average inflation also declined from around 10 per cent between 1966 and 2010 to around four per cent in the past few years.

She stated that it was pleasing to note that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in his presentation of the budget proposal stated a significant investment on social infrastructure such as schools and health facilities over the years, which resulted in increased literacy rate from 34 per cent in 1981 to 87.1 per cent in 2016.

Ms Makgato attributed all the achievements to the visionary leadership that Batswana should pride themselves with and the growth-promoting policies pursued by the government.

With regard to further enhancing the economic diversification through the Special Economic Zones policy, Ms Makgato stated that her constituency was waiting for the zoning of the SPEDU area as it would benefit the horticulture industry in her area.

The Member of Parliament for Sefhare/Ramokgonami therefore pleaded with the opposition party to give government credit where it is due, instead of dismissing any government effort to empower and develop Batswana.

“The opposition should come up with a counter strategy and budget, clearly articulating how they will implement certain economic needs and state their revenue source,” she said.

For his part, Maun East MP, Mr Kostantinos Markus applauded the 2019/2020 budget proposals, adding that it was pleasing that the budget was more on consolidating development gains for further economic transformation.

He however pleaded with government to allocate more funds for infrastructure maintenance, particularly in the roads department.

Mr Markus said the road network in the country was in a bad state, especial the Nata-Maun road, which serves as a getaway route for the tourists’ destination in the Okavango Delta. ENDS