26 Mar 2019

Member of Parliament for Selebi Phikwe West Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse says the country should consider increasing its budget for research and development in its bid to attain a high income status.

Debating the budget proposals for the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology on March 25, Mr Keorapetse said without making notable investments into research and development, Botswana’s dream to transform into a high income status would be difficult to achieve.

He said many countries that had registered noticeable strides in growth and development had invested heavily in this area.

Mr Keorapetse urged government to create incentives for research so as to encourage it, noting that presently there was low research output by tertiary education institutions such as the University of Botswana (UB) and Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST).

On another issue, Mr Keorapetse decried the disparities between salaries of academics at UB and BIUST. He also raised a concern about the students’ allowances, saying they needed to be increased.

MP for Gaborone Central, Dr Phenyo Butale shared similar sentiments that there was inadequate investment in research and technology.

Dr Butale also complained that some private tertiary institutions were giving their students questionable qualifications.

He said it was sad that in this age, the country’s young people continued to lose years of their lives through studying at bogus institutions. MP Ignatius Moswaane called for the increase in the number of students being admitted into brigades; saying to achieve that, government should consider building more brigades so as to provide opportunities for more and more Batswana to acquire some vocational skills.

MP Moiseraele Goya of Palapye also complained that there was no money for research despite the existence of many research institutions.

On the recovery of money spent on sponsoring Batswana for their tertiary education studies, Mr Goya wondered if the ministry was doing enough to recover the money so that more students could benefit. Ends