31 Mar 2019

Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Kenneth Matambo has requested Parliament to approve funding amounting to P934.2 million to cover amounts already expropriated under the Consolidated Fund.

Presenting the request for supplementary funding, Mr Matambo explained that during the 2017/18 financial year, Parliament had approved additional expenditure amounting to P20.3 million and P1 billion under the Consolidated Fund.

He said recently, P132.3 million was also approved, adding on to the amounts that had already been approved.

The minister said the P934.2 million comprised the Ministry of Basic Education at P539 million, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development at P190.8 million, Ministry of Health and Wellness at P178 million and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism at P26.2 million.

Mr Matambo indicated that by passing the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, Parliament would be formally ratifying its earlier approval of the Supplementary Expenditures through Financial Papers No. 1, 2 and 3 of 2017/2018 in accordance with the law.

Reacting to the request for supplementary funding, MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi urged government to consider increasing compensation for damages caused by wildlife to cushion Batswana against the effects of human/wildlife conflict.

He said presently the compensation was too low and often came late.

Furthermore, Mr Mmolotsi said government should ensure that concerns by teachers relating to salaries, allowances and other conditions of service were addressed without the aggrieved having to seek redress through courts of law.

MP for Gaborone North, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa said it was clear that the ministry responsible for education did not know its priorities as it always requested for supplementary funding.

He advised the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) to budget well to ensure that it did not have to approach Parliament to request for additional funding.

Mr Ndaba Gaolathe, the MP for Gaborone-Bonnington South, concurred with sentiments on the Ministry of Basic Education, saying the ministry lacked the capacity to properly forecast its needs.

He called on the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to help MoBE to properly project its needs.

In addition, Mr Gaolathe said supplementary funding need not be a window for emergencies only, but that it should also cater for the shift in needs and fortunes.

MP for Mochudi East, Mr Moagi Molebatsi said it was true that MoBE needed assistance with its budget. Mr Molebatsi also agreed that compensation for damages caused by wildlife was too low and needed to be reviewed.

MP Dithapelo Keorapetse of Selebi Phikwe West advised Parliament to encourage fiscal discipline by discouraging calls for supplementary funding.

He also implored government to pay teachers outstanding allowances which they were owed.

He said teachers sacrificed a lot by overseeing extra-curricular activities in addition to their core business of teaching, hence they needed to be rewarded appropriately for the work they were doing. ENDS