26 Aug 2020

The Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi, has called on government to institutionalise gender mainstreaming as part of the country’s inclusive growth.

Debating a mid-term review of the National Development Plan 11 in Parliament on Tuesday, Ms Mokgethi said one of the most important items that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should look at was  ‘an inclusive growth for realisation of a sustainable development and employment creation and poverty eradication’.

Ms Mokgethi, who is also MP for Gaborone Bonnington North, said in order for the country to transform from a middle income economy to a high income economy, more women should come on board as transformation agents.

“The institutionalisation of gender mainstreaming should be budgeted for in every ministry as a matter of urgency,” she said.

Gaborone Central MP, Mr Tumisang Healy, said the country’s main revenue areas such as diamond trading, tourism, personal and sales tax had been affected by the pandemic.

He suggested that greater participation was needed to revitalise the economy by an increased dip in the country’s domestic funds.

“As a result of the pandemic, the world is turning more nationalistic with globalisation taking a hit. In the same breath, with such wonderful credit ratings that we have, our appetite for external borrowing still leaves a lot.  Entities such as ratings of World Bank and IMF are so high yet we do not take advantage of such ratings, so in essence there is no point in Botswana being rated so highly if we do not take advantage of such credit ratings,” Mr Healy said.

Selebi Phikwe East MP, Mr Kgoberego Nkawana, called on  government to equip law enforcement organs with sufficient resources to carry out their mandate.

Mr Nkawana suggested that the manufacturing industry should be revived because it could diversify the economy and create employment.

Additionally, he  also called for the government to assist NGOs and cmmunity trusts with adequate funding. ENDS