27 Feb 2019

Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Moiseraele Goya says the total budget for the Gambling Authority for the financial years 2016/2017, 2017/18 and 2018/19 was P23 582 151, P37 958 415 and P43 092 190 respectively.

Mr Goya stated that the Gambling Authority outreach programmes budget for the financial years 2016/2017 stood at P1 262 124, whereas for year 2017/2018 was at P883 339, adding that for the year 2018/2019 it was at P300 000.

Regarding the Gambling Authority local procurement budget, Mr Goya said it stood at P10 376 501 for 2016/2017.

For year 2017/2018 it was at P13 009 719 and for 2018/2019 it was P11 426 492.

Concerning the Gambling Authority training budget for the financial years 2016/2017 it was P2 736 636.

For 2017/2018 it was P4 064 125 and for 2018/2019 it was at P552 298.

Mr Goya explained that the Gambling Authority employs only Batswana, adding that therefore there were no localisation and development budgets.

As for the Gambling Authority risk and audit budget, Mr Goya said for the financial year 2016/2017 it was P270 837.

For 2017/2018 it was P909 143 and for 2018/2019 it was at P2 105 130.

The Gambling Authority administrative purposes for the financial years 2016/2017 was P10 957 667. 

For 2017/2018 it was P13 820 897, whereas for 2018/2019 was at P22 205 397.

He said the financial years outreach programmes budget variances stood at P675 327 for 2016/2017, P33 504 for 2017/2018 and P51 429 for 2018/2019.

Mr Goya explained that the Authority went over budget on outreach programmes in the 2017/18 financial years as there was a concerted effort to sensitise the public on the National Lottery.

He said the financial years 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 local procurement budget variances were at P1 115 508, P501 802 and P772 137 respectively.

Mr Goya explained that the over expenditure under the Local Procurement for the financial year 2017/18 was due to the expenditure on hotels and accommodation outside the country.

He stated that the financial years 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 training variances were as follows;  P524 777, P3 216 647 and P2 213 729 respectively.

Mr Goya clarified that the over expenditure in the 2016/2017 financial year was primarily due to the amount spent on training of new staff members at both the executive and general staff cadres.

He further said the over expenditure in the 2016/2017 financial year was due to the travel to conferences and expos by the board to sensitise them on the new license types that they would have to issue and regulate.

Regarding the risk and audit budget variances, Mr Goya said there was no budget for year 2016/2017.

For 2017/2018 it stood at P-117 879 and that for 2018/2019 it was P146.397.

He stated that the over expenditure in 2017/2018 financial year was due to an under provision for external audit services.

Meanwhile, he said financial years 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 administrative variances were at P201 612, P1062 471 and P9 309 762 respectively.

Mr Goya explained that the over expenditure in the 2016/2017 financial year was due to under provision for staff recruitment, office relocation and utilities.

He said the over expenditure in the 2017/2018 financial year was due to an under provision for advertising, consultancy and professional fees as well as staff welfare and counseling services.

He stated that the total budget and budget variances for the Gambling Authority external trips and travel for the financial years 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 stood at P630 217, P2 417 136 and P2 348 417 respectively.

Mr Goya said the over expenditure for the 2016/2017 financial year was primarily due to staff training costs, adding that the training was only available outside Botswana and required travel.

He said the over expenditure for the 2018/2019 financial year was due to the travel costs associated with travel to conferences and expos to market the board.

Member of Parliament for Selebi Phikwe West Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse  had asked the minister the total budget of the Gambling Authority for financial year 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/2019.

MP Keorapetse wanted to know how much was budgeted for outreach programmes, local procurement, training, localisation and development, risk and audit as well as administrative purposes for the said years.

He further wanted to know what was the percentage compliance or variance of the budgets for outreach, training, local procurement, risk and audit.

Furthermore, MP Keorapetse required to know what the travel budget for external trips in the years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 for the Authority was and what was the compliance or variance to it. ENDS