26 Jul 2020

Francistown East MP, Mr Buti Billy has stressed the need to review Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) regulations, to compel councils to award tenders to Batswana and to support local products.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement meeting in Francistown recently, Mr Billy said for citizens to be empowered, they should be informed about available programmes or initiatives.

The stakeholders who attended the meeting included councillors and Ward Development Committee chairpersons, mainly from Francistown East constituency.

Mr Billy said the country had a high import bill because the bulk of the food consumed was not produced locally, hence the government had come up with a transformation agenda, from which all citizens could benefit.

He said it was necessary for entities like Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA) and Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Skills and Culture Development (MYSC) to educate leaders about the different programmes that they offered and how they could change lives.

“I have engaged these stakeholders today so that they may inform you about the different opportunities available and later on as the leaders we may pass the message to the public,” he said.

The MP urged leaders to have the interest of the community at heart, since their main mandate was to ensure that people’s lives were changed for the better.

For her part, Francistown District Commissioner, Ms Chabongwa Matsheka urged leaders to share ideas that could help develop the lives of citizens.

She said it was also in the best interest of citizens to know what happened in Parliament, hence such meetings were vital.

Ms Matsheka said despite COVID-19, there had not been any information inadvertence by either the area MP or the government.

She also advised Batswana to continue abiding by the COVID-19 health protocols to protect lives. ENDS