11 Feb 2020

Member of Parliament for Lerala/Maunatlala, Mr Setlhabelo Modukanele says a high income economy is achievable.

Responding to Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Thapelo Matsheka’s budget speech in Parliament recently, Mr Modukanele however said to attain a high income status economy, sectors and institutions needed to work together.

He said the budget speech outlined a broad and challenging agenda to be pursued in the remaining two years of NDP 11.

“It is an agenda that will require serious engagements across all sectors of the economy,” he said.

Mr Modukanele further emphasised that government needed to lead those engagements with a view to bring in the private sector and other stakeholders closer to the agenda relating to transforming the economy by 2036.

He said the budget speech provided a clear basis for action by all parties and stakeholders concerned, adding that it was a reflection of excellent intentions by government to address, in a robust and focused manner, economic maladies currently crippling the economy, particularly unemployment and poverty.

He said monitoring and evaluation would be critical going forward, further indicating that another positive and transformational move that required high level of cooperation by all players was refocusing of attention to the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

With regard to agriculture, Mr Modukanele noted that the desire was for all stakeholders to work together and intensify efforts to put in place interventions geared towards building the resilience to the impact of climate change to the farming communities.

He said those would include issues surrounding improving livestock management, communal ranch management and restoration of degraded ranch lands in communal areas and development of livestock market value chains.

The assistant minister noted that accessing markets by farmers was one of the biggest challenges they faced to date.

In addition, Mr Modukanele indicated that both agriculture and manufacturing had great potential to generate employment, particularly for the most vulnerable segments of the population.

He said the two sectors were the largest water consumers.

However, he said Botswana was a water scarce country and that called for all to support the institutions that would be playing a leading role in designing, redesigning and developing policies and strategies and projects geared towards transforming those sectors.

Mr Modukanele cited three pressing needs in his constituency such as the need for a hospital, storm water drainage system as well as a 70km stretch road. He said his constituency is in the heart of Tuli Block which is the economic hub of this country that can be used to diversify the economy.

Meanwhile, Molepolole North legislator, Mr Oabile Regoeng applauded Dr Matsheka on development and recurrent budget, however indicating that development budget was lower than expected.

He said there was need to balance development and recurrent budgets. He therefore implored Dr Matsheka to increase development stake in the next budget.

For his part, MP for Letlhakeng/Lephephe, Mr Liakat Kablay said although he applauded Dr Matsheka’s budget, there was dire need for ICT infrastructure in schools, especially those in rural areas.
Mr Kablay indicated that schools were facing shortage of fax machines, printers, computers and other ICT equipment for use by learners and teachers.

Commenting, Member of Parliament for Shashe West, Mr Fidelis Molao emphasised that public education regarding tax collection was needed. He said the public should be sensitised on how tax money paid contributed to the development of the country’s economy. Therefore he said those eligible to pay tax should be encouraged to pay their dues.

He said even the public should be encouraged to pay for services as required, citing services at health facilities.

Mr Molao also applauded Dr Matsheka on the provision of appropriate infrastructure.

He said to lure investors to Botswana, there should be appropriate infrastructure such as water, electricity and roads that would enable condusive environment for them to set up industries to create employment and contribute to the economy.

Furthermore, Mr Molao said there was need to review the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board Act, indicating that government procurement had locked in a lot of money.

He said projects were not moving because people were constantly at courts when they fail to secure tenders. He therefore said there should be consequences for unnecessary court hearings caused by those who lost bids. ENDS