02 Mar 2021

The National Assembly on March 1 approved a budget proposal of approximately P168m to be used by the institution of Parliament over the upcoming 2021-22 financial year.

The Parliamentary Committee of Supply voted in favour of sanctioning the budget estimate, tabled by the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Kabo Morwaeng.

Mr Morwaeng proposed an amount of approximately P168 million as the Parliament budget allocation, with just over P154 million due for the recurrent expenditure and P14 million set aside for development.

The bulk of the total amount will be used by the National Assembly, with six per cent budgeted for Ntlo ya Dikgosi.

Mr Morwaeng said the amount being sought was a small increase of P1.4 million or approximately one per cent from the previous financial year.

He said Parliament had begun broadcasting live on national television and radio, and while the costs of broadcast were initially borne out by the Department of Broadcasting Services, over the next financial year Parliament would have to bear some of the costs.

Personal emoluments will take up 68 per cent of the recurrent expenditure, with 32 per cent used for operational costs.

The refurbishment of Parliament buildings and security upgrades will account for the development spend.

In the committee debate, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Kanye South MP, Dr Lemogang Kwape lent his support to the Parliament budget proposal.

He said Parliament would work on developing international best practice methods, including assisting with its research capacity, but such developments would take place gradually.
Dr Kwape said increasing the physical capacity of the National Assembly should be looked at since the upcoming national census and possible delimitation exercise could recommend an increase in number of constituencies.

Maun East MP, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile said he was disappointed in the budget allocation. He said the fact that the Parliament budget was presented by a member of cabinet instead of the Speaker or Clerk of the National Assembly as leaders of the legislative, showed that Parliament was not independent of the executive.

He said the 24 oversight committees of the National Assembly and constituency offices countrywide lacked sufficient support staff.

Mr Kekgonegile also said the National Assembly required a budget office and called for the construction of new offices to house staff and MPs at the

Government Enclave, saying the current Parliament Annexe building was outdated.

Gaborone Central MP, Mr Tumisang Healy said the six per cent allocated to Ntlo ya Dikgosi was low, stating that the second house of Parliament needed to be supported to improve its capacity to operate efficiency.

He also said the P14 million development budget for the National Assembly was also quite low.  Mr Healy joined the call for Parliament to be independent, instead of existing as a government department reporting to cabinet ministers.

Governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Chief Whip, Letlhakeng/Lephephe MP, Mr Liakat Kablay said he supported increased autonomy of Parliament, and said even in the current set up his party accommodated alternative viewpoints.

Bobonong MP, Mr TaoloLucas, said the practice of the Vice President being the Leader of the House in the National Assembly needed to be reviewed as it was symbolic of the executive controlling the legislature.

Mr Lucas also said the office of the Leader of the Opposition needed to be given greater capacity, including being allowed and facilitated to address kgotla meetings countrywide in order to get an appraisal of national issues in order to give a coherent alternative view in Parliament.

Sefhare-Ramokgonami MP, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang called for a President’s Question Time in Parliament.

Forty-one of the MPs present voted in favour of the Parliament budget allocation, with just two voting against. ENDS