12 Feb 2020

Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga said the few revenue streams were worrisome as they limited the government’s development agenda.

Debating the 2020/2021 budget proposals in Parliament on Monday, Mr Majaga said he was disheartened that since independence, the total budget had never reached P100 billion, and said this challenged the government to come up with strategies that would diversify revenue streams.

MP Majaga said the number of parastatal organisations in the country were too high, at over 60, and said some were not adding value to the economy, but instead were ‘parasites’.

He further called for the introduction of toll gates, saying time had come for the government to set them up along the country’s major roads.

MP Majaga further called upon the Vice President to play a major role in seeing that projects were implemented as planned.

For his part, Sefhare/Ramokgonami lawmaker, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang said the ruling party was confused as it talked about social development, yet it has capitalist programmes.

Under socialism, the government owns businesses and therefore creates employment opportunities, but the budget speech talked about a private sector-led economy, he said.

Dr Gobotswang said there was an element of confusion as the ruling party promised Batswana jobs before last year’s general elections, but the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in his speech talked about creating an enabling environment for the private sector.

He said under the ruling party, unemployment had increased and the gap between the rich and the  poor had widened, but the budget speech did not state how those challenges would be addressed.

The MP said the government should set clear objectives with targets on how it intended to turn the economy around.

He said he wondered how the government would achieve a knowledge-based economy when schools were dilapidated.

Dr Gobotswang said building an inclusive economy was also difficult to attain, looking at the performance of rural and urban schools.

He was against the purchasing of air assets, saying money should be channelled to pressing issues such as improving health and education facilities. ENDS