19 Sep 2019

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MFEP)) is in the process of localising United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

An official from the ministry, Ms Tshegofatso Paphane said all needed to play their part in the domestication and implementation of SDGs, noting that the exercise would be spearheaded by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) in partnership with MFEP.

Presenting to the North West District full council session about the SDGs’ implementation in Botswana, she said the SDGs called for all to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoyed peace and prosperity.

If all embraced the SDGs, she said they would be able to deal with a lot of inequalities in society. Through the SDGs, she added that they wanted to ensure that people had healthy lives, acquired knowledge, end poverty, fight inequality, grow a strong, inclusive and transformative economy, promote safe and peaceful societies, protect ecosystem and catalyse global solidarity for sustainable development.

Ms Paphane explained that the SDGs came from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as they were addressing unfinished business. In addition, she pointed out that the SDGs were interlinked, citing the SDG 17 which called for partnerships.

Each goal, she said, had a target and indicators which would help to measure the target. She cited goal one which called for action to end poverty in all its forms by 2030.

She noted that the goal indicator was the proportion of the population below international poverty line disaggregated by sex, age, employment status and geographical location.

Ms Paphane also indicated that when domestication of SDGs were adopted, Botswana was still going through some vulnerabilities because of narrow base economy.

Other challenges, she said included human-wildlife conflict, high unemployment, water, energy, food security challenges, persistent poverty, HIV/AIDs and unequal income distribution among others.

Despite that, she said the SDGs were aligned to the country’s priorities, NDP 11 and Vision 2036, adding that “you can see that we are still pushing our priorities in the country through the SDGs.”

She stressed that the main objective of the goals was that they did not want to leave anyone behind hence they came up with the SDGs roadmap which would be a guiding tool on how they were going to achieve agenda 2030.

Ms Paphane highlighted that as the local authority, they had a role to play towards the implementation of the SDGs, adding that they should preach them so that the community fully understood what should be done within the sectors.

Local authorities, she said, were also the policy implementers hence the need to join hands and push the agenda.

The council was also appraised on the Botswana demographic dividend study report which aimed to review demographic and economic opportunities and challenges; determine timing and magnitude of the demographic dividend (DD) and identify key policy options for maximising the DD.

Sharing the report, Ms Oesi Thothe described the demographic dividend as an economic benefit that arose directly from the increase in the proportion of the working age population relative to dependent children as a result of fertility and mortality decline.

Ms Thote said the country was experiencing low fertility, declining quality of education and skills development as compared to other countries.

She, however, stated that Botswana was at an advanced stage of the demographic transition.

Unlike other countries in the region, she said Botswana’s window of opportunity for harnessing the demographic dividend had already peaked.

Ms Thothe also said Botswana’s progress in reducing child mortality was better than average. ENDs