06 Feb 2022

As the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ms Peggy Serame presents her maiden budget speech  today, individuals and different sectors are expecting to get a lion’s share of the 2022/23 budget. 

However, over the past several financial years, the budget has been operating in deficit forcing government to focus on measures that will resuscitate, diversify and grow the economy. 

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi even took it upon himself to engage the nation through initiatives aimed at ensuring that everyone was involved in growing the economy. 

The President has also been imploring citizens to utilise their knowledge to drive the economy. 

The previous budget speech focused on strategies for sustaining the economy and implementation of the Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan. 

Despite the challenges presented by among others the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the public remain hopeful for a stake in the budget. 

In an interview, a horticulture farmer based in Letlhakane, Mr Modiegi Baolatotse said farming and other opportunities in the agricultural sector had the potential to sustain the country’s economy. 

He said locally produced commodities could reduce expenditure on importation of food items, create employment and sustain livelihoods as well as the economy. 

Mr Baolatotse said  the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security should therefore be allocate a major share of the budget to areas such as training of farmers to equip them with knowledge on modern farming techniques. 

He appealed for upgrading of  training institutions such as Impala Research Centre with emphasis on modern farming methods. 

Mr Baolatotse said hybrid seeds and use of a variety of fertilizers required constant training in order for horticultural farmers to produce the desired yields. 

Emphasising that agriculture should be perceived as a business undertaking, he said  the institutions should always offer relevant training. 

Mr Baolatotse advocated for increased funding towards empowering horticultural farmers. 

He said the sector, though labour intensive and requiring continual use of advanced technology and as such costly, was rewarding.

Mr Baolatotse encouraged more youths to venture into agriculture-related projects. 

On a related manner, he decried the fact that said though agricultural officers were willing to assist farmers to the extent of paying regular visits to farms, they had transport challenges. 

He therefore implored the ministry to address transport challenges experienced by field officers. 

Meanwhile, chairperson for people living with disabilities in Kgalagadi South, Mr Omphemetse Titties has expressed the hope that the budget would address major challenges affecting the demographic. 

Mr Titties said people living with disabilities in rural areas were disadvantaged in accessing basic services such as health care and education. 

He is of the view that budget allocations should focus more on upgrading service provision for people living with disabilities in rural areas. 

Currently, Mr Titties said,  Nhake Primary School in Tsabong was the only facility catering for learners with disabilities but only admitted those under the age of 18.

There was therefore a dire need for a facility that would cater for other age categories, he said.

 He said it would be ideal to establish a facility where people living with disabilities could be equipped with vocational skills. 

Such a facility would also serve as a safe haven for those requiring psychosocial support as people living with disabilities were vulnerable to physical, emotional and sexual abuse, Mr Titties said.

He said even though the public service was saturated, consideration should be given to people living with disabilities as they were the most unemployed and affected by poverty. 

Mr Titties, who is also a gospel artiste, called for prioritisation of resuscitating the arts and culture industry. 

He said the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development should fund initiatives that would sustain and grow the entertainment and arts sectors. 

For his part, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Student Representative Council president, Mr Wedu Tafa requested the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology to channel funds towards shielding students from economic strains. 

He said the current student allowance of P1 620 for off campus and P1 320 for on campus was not equivalent to the cost of living. 

According to Mr Tafa, the situation affected academic performance because students were preoccupied with  welfare-related challenges. 

“We are proposing an increase of 35 per cent of the current tertiary leaners’ allowance to P1 700 for on campus and P2 200 for off campus,” he said. 

Mr Tafa said more emphasis  should be put on management of tertiary institutions to ensure continuous delivery of quality education. Botswana Qualifications Authority must constantly inspect institutions to ensure students  got value for money, he said. BOPA