09 Oct 2013

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning has started the budget process for the 2014/15 financial year. As part of the preparations, the ministry would hold a series of budget dipitso.  

The purpose of the consultations would be to inform stakeholders on the national budgeting process and provide a forum for discussions of national priorities to inform resource allocation in the next financial year.

The principal public relations officer in the ministry, Mr Tshwaragano Mmereki said in an interview the meetings would be held from October 22 beginning with a press conference and a general stakeholders pitso the next day at GICC in Gaborone.

He said stakeholders involved various people from the private sector, labour organisations, Botswana Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) and academics. Separate consultative meetings will be held with local authorities and MPs.

Meanwhile, the ministry stated thst in its budget strategy paper that it expected a surplus budget for 2014/15 financial year. Estimates indicated that total revenue and grants will increase marginally by 2.9 per cent, from P43.8 billion in 2013/14 to P46.06 billion in 2014/15 due to expected improvement in both tax and non-tax revenues.

Total expenditure was estimated to reach P43 billion with recurrent budget amounting to P33.9 billion and development expenditure at P9.13 billion. The increase in overall spending will be driven largely by personal emoluments as it accounts for the largest share of recurrent expenses of over 30 per cent.

Cabinet has agreed on a budget surplus of P2 749 million but it is now estimated at P2 079 million mainly due to the need to finance additional requirements and priority areas.

On budget priorities, the ministry states that this will depend on the revenue outlook as determined by the global and domestic economic situation. The recurrent budget will address issues of right sizing the public service, outsourcing non-core activities and merging and privatisation of some parastatals.

The proposed budget will focus on four priorities being, completion of ongoing projects and maintenance of existing infrastructure, accelerating poverty eradication programmes, investing in projects that promote economic growth and improving service delivery.

The budget strategy paper calls for greater focus to be placed on completion of ongoing projects and maintenance of existing infrastructure due to budgetary constraints and investment in few new projects which are deemed critical to unlocking development initiatives and promoting economic growth.

Under the accelerated poverty eradication programme government will continue to provide resources for social welfare programmes such as destitution allowances and school feeding programmes.

Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) has been improved and subsistence farmers shall now enjoy 100 per cent subsidies on fertilisers, soil testing, hybrid seeds and herbicides, provided they adopt modern ploughing methods. Ends