10 Feb 2022

 Government priority should be job creation particularly in an economy that has just emerged from recession.

Responding to the 2022/23 National Budget proposals, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Dumelang Saleshando said the rising unemployment was a security threat and a danger to the nation.
Mr Saleshando said most families had been negatively affected by COVID-19 pandemic, breadwinners had lost jobs, children had lost parents.
He said the multi-topic survey released this month showed that unemployment had risen to 26 per cent while 252 316 people remained unemployed. It further indicates that there are also 11 per cent (76 787) discouraged job seekers while 46 998 are unemployed.

Mr Saleshando said the budget speech, did not give employment creation the seriousness it deserved, other than economic key indicators which would not result in employment creation.
“Too many people sitting at home without income when they have skills and are willing to soil their hands to earn a living poses an existential threat,” he said.
Mr Saleshando said even the State-of-the-Nation address presented by the President last year was silent on job creation.

He called for all government departments to return exported jobs in 12 months, saying jobs were exported through foreign procurement and engagement of foreign consultants.
MP Saleshando said although exporting of live cattle benefitted farmers, it was detrimental to the economy, which wanted to set up a leather park.
The Leader of Opposition further called for an increase in funding for state owned enterprises, which had the potential of employing additional staff.
He said the country should have an aggressive plan for green energy and also venture into synthetic diamonds, especially following an announcement that the mines were mature and had become expensive to operate.

Mr Saleshando said the country should embark on hemp production and also expand citizen owned businesses.
The envisaged infrastructure development and maintenance has the potential of reducing the income gap, he said noting that the P3 billion budget should wholly be reserved for citizen owned companies or where citizens were majority shareholders.

The Maun West legislator also said the upgrading of A1 Road to dual carriageway should also be done by a citizen owned company. This, he said would enable them to grow and be able to win international tenders.

He wondered why government would only restructure parastatals but leave out ministries, adding that in his view, there was no need for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to have three assistant ministers.

Further, he pointed out that while the government was concerned about a high number of parastatals, a new one Botswana National Public Health Institute would be established.
He said there was no need to create a new entity as its duties could be done at the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Mr Saleshando said government should also abandon plans to build a 300MW coal fired power station but instead concentrate on renewable energy projects.
On the welfare of Batswana, he said the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) remained committed to increasing Old Age pension to P1 500.

In her budget presentation,  Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ms Peggy Serame announced that Old Age Pension and Ipelegeng allowances have been increased by P100. ENDS