02 Sep 2019

 The long awaited Moshupa primary hospital will be built soon, Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry told residents of Machana, Pitseng and Tshwaane last week.

Mr Karabo Gare, who is also former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, announced during a string of kgotla meetings he addressed in the three villages.

He said the tender had been awarded and construction of the project would get underway before October.

Mr Gare explained that upon completion, the project would relieve residents the hardships of travelling long distances seeking medical assistance.

Mr Gare further thanked residents of the three villages for waiting patiently for the project, and apologised for the delay that occasioned. 

On other issues, he told residents that the just ended Parliament passed 17 bills with the view to improve the lives of Batswana.

He said the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) Act had been amended to remove the national abattoirs’ export monopoly on livestock products. He noted that it would enable other players in the market to compete with the national abattoir.

This, he stressed, would create employment opportunities for Batswana.

Mr Gare also informed residents that government, through legislation, had removed unnecessary red tape for business registrations. He said only businesses with a bearing on public health and environment would require trading licences.

 Out of 46 business categories that formerly required licencing, he said only 11 would be licensed.

Mr Gare explained that the move was aimed at creating a friendly environment for doing business in the country.

 He said government was of the view that the more people operated business, the merrier for the nation in terms of job creation.

Mr Gare further informed residents that married partners would each be allocated a plot as a way of empowerment. He said they were looking at the fact that when eventualities like divorce came, it rendered many homeless.

The assistant minister furthermore shared that government had made it possible for them to use half of their ploughing fields for any venture other than farming with the aim to optimise land use. He said the legislation would empower many Batswana who were passionate about business but had no business plots to kick-start and shepherd their ventures from idea to cash.

Mr Gare, moreover, told residents that Parliament had enacted the declaration of assets legislation with the view to fight corruption. He explained that government was concerned that some were using public office for personal gain. This, he said, derailed developments in that money which could have been used to improve the lives of Batswana was being misappropriated.

Mr Gare, who succeeded President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi as the area MP, thanked constituents of Moshupa/Manyana for giving him an opportunity to serve.

Meanwhile, Dr Ngeleza Kasongo confirmed that the project was on the cards, adding that they were hitting the ground with speed. He said the contractor would visit the site this week. ENDS