18 Mar 2020

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Phildah Kereng has requested Parliament to approve budget estimates of over P1 billion for 2020/21 financial year.

Presenting her ministry’s budget, Ms Kereneg said about P 196.8m was for development budget and P846.8m for the recurrent budget.

She highlighted that development budget had decreased by P237.3m or about 54 per cent from last year’s budget of P434.1m, while the recurrent budget had increased by 6 per cent from last year’s budget of P799.6m mainly due to salary increases.

Out of the proposed recurrent budget, a total of P103m, which represents 12 per cent, is earmarked for the Botswana Tourism Organisation subvention while the remaining balance will be distributed to the rest of the departments.

She explained that projects funded under the development budget included broadening the tourism base programme at over P30.6 million, that would cover expansion of the tourism sector to make it more efficient and profitable.

Furthermore, she stated that other projects to be undertaken under the programme were Tourism Land Banks, Dams Tourism and division of concessions, refurbishment and development of monuments sites amongst others.

Over P103.9 million, she said, had been earmarked for the ministry’s infrastructure projects, the bulk of which had been budgeted for the Kasane-Kazungula redevelopment and relocation project for servicing of land and compensations to those being relocated to free up land for private investment.

The ministry’s computerisation project has been budgeted over P1.5 million required to complete the Integrated Wildlife Management System.

The envisaged system would enhance productivity through improved data management of all operations and comprehensive and timely reporting facilities based on a central, consistent and up-to-date database.

The ministry’s Wildlife Species Management programme would be allocated P31.3 million for various projects such as construction of Kang Anti-Poaching Unit, mechanical workshops, APU Camps, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) fence maintenance and development, wildlife borehole drilling and water reticulation among others.

As for the environment protection, Ms Kereng said an amount of P29.3 million had been budgeted for various projects intended to safeguard and protect the environment.

Meanwhile, the minister told Parliament that her ministry was working tirelessly to enhance anti-poaching efforts.

Ms Kereng stated that so far, government had intensified rhino protection and monitoring efforts and as a result, several poachers had lost their lives and others arrested.

She stated other measures were already under way including, increased patrols and the use of technology to improve surveillance and monitoring.

Ms Kereng said construction of the Kang Anti-Poaching training facility was nearing completion and would be ready for occupation beginning of 2020/21 financial year.

“This will also go a long way in capacitating our anti-poaching staff to deal with the scourge,” she said.

Minister Kereng further indicated that anti-poaching resources had been increased and that no void had been left as a consequence of government’s decision to withdraw certain types of weapons from the DWNP.

“Efforts have been made by some to link the rise in poaching to the decision by government to withdraw certain types of weapons from the DWNP. I wish to clarify that such link is non-existent,” she said.

She further said there was need to review management strategies to encompass the changing poaching dynamics.

This, she said, would entail review of the current National Anti-Poaching Strategy with a view to assess deployment strategy, structural reforms, capacitating the staff, reviewing of the organisational structure and conditions of service for DWNP.

She said the ministry would also establish contingency fund for inter-agency collaboration and establishment of joint operations centre to curb poaching.

With regards to hunting ban lifted in May 2019 and a citizen hunting quota, the special elephant quota of 60 managed to raise P25.7 million that will accrue to the Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) for financing community based projects in the elephant range areas.

She said the proceeds of Community quota would go directly to communities for implementation of their Village Development Plans. Ends