12 Dec 2019

Batswana have been reassured of the government’s intention to create jobs.

In his debate of the the State-of-Nation Address in Parliament on December 11, MP for Mogoditshane, Mr Tumiso Rakgare said  government was steadfast and resolute on implementing the promises made during the build-up to elections and campaign messages. He said the ruling Botswana Democratic Party would play its part in ensuring that job creation and economic growth during the five-year mandate.

He further noted that the new initiatives brought about by government such as the Ease of Doing Business reforms and reorientation of immigration laws were all intended to attract Foreign Direct Investment and create job opportunities for Batswana.

“We are here as cabinet to bear testimony and restore hope in Batswana that we will create jobs for them,” he said.

Mr Rakgare also hailed President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for what he termed transformational leadership since assuming office in 2018.

He said since assuming Presidency Dr Masisi, had resuscitated the spirit of consultation by engaging with Batswana and different stakeholders on key issues of national interest.

With regards to Mogoditshane constituency, he thanked voters for trusting him to represent them as their MP.

He called upon government to consider setting up satellite police stations in his constituency to increase police visibility in a village that has become a crime haven.

Mr Rakgare said Goo-Monang ward was a crime hot spot due to lack of streetlights in the area.

MP for Francistown East, Mr Buti Billy encouraged Batswana to tap into opportunities brought about by the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). 

He said Batswana should take advantage of the exposure to the market of over 1.2billion people in the African continent by providing products and services to those markets.

“It is highly commendable for a country to have signed such economic partnership agreements for the benefit of our constituents,” he said.

With regards to health, he commended the government for Universal Health Coverage but noted that it was about time the country utilised technology for health as part of embracing Fourth Industrial Revolution, adding that some constituents were complaining of poor service delivery at health facilities.

He also appealed to the health ministry to establish a shared system in all health facilities, that would show drug availability so that patients were not sent from pillar to post in search of prescriptions.

On other issues, Mr Billy, who is also assistant minister in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development said the ministry would find solutions to the challenges faced by youth in a journey to unleashing their potential in the economic sphere.

“One of our goals as a ministry is to create platforms for youth entrepreneurs to market their products and services,” he said.

He also said the ministry would afford youth, opportunities to network with their counterparts in other countries so that they could learn from and collaborate with them in  creative arts, among them the film industry.

Mr Billy further noted that the ministry intended to aggressively pursue sport and culture development in order to capacitate youth. ends