01 Mar 2022

 There is a need for a budget that would  facilitate MPs and Ntlo ya Dikgosi to perform their Constitutional functions of making laws for the country’s peace, order and good governance, Minister for Presidential

Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Kabo Morwaeng has said.  

It was against such a background that Parliament subsequently approved over P173m to fund the National Assembly’s recurrent and development budget in the 2022/2023 financial year.

Presenting the organisation’s budget proposals on Monday, Mr Morwaeng explained that out of the proposed funds, the National Assembly would be allocated P145.9 million while the remaining P8m would be allocated to Ntlo Ya Dikgosi.

He explained that a total of P154.9m would fund the recurrent budget while the remaining P18.9m would cover the development budget.

Under the development budget, Minister Morwaeng indicated that the National Assembly would be allocated P18.8m in the 2022/2023 financial year, which was a 35 per cent increase from the previous allocation.He said from the P18.8m, the National Assembly would use P4m on its security project and about P5m to refurbish and restore Parliament buildings.

Again, he said about P5m would be used to enhance the Botswana Speaks project including the SMS gateway system, mobile app, desktops for the 57 constituencies, consultative fora, publicity and marketing as well as other ICT equipment.

He said an additional P4 million would be used to upgrade network at constituency offices in view of the need to provide connectivity for MPs as and when they wished to attend proceedings virtually.

Under the recurrent budget, Mr Morwaeng requested for funds of over P154.9m for the financial year 2022/2023.

That, he said represented an increase of P643 240 above the 2021/2022 revised financial year’s budget of over P154.2m, which he said was mostly on personal emoluments to cater for the salary increase. 

‘The largest proportion of the recurrent budget is allocated to personnel emoluments at 70 per cent of the budget, which amount to about P108.2m while the remaining 30 per cent, which amounts to P44, 631, 870 would be allocated to other operational costs of Parliament.

Further, he said generally the larger share of the proposed budget of over P145.9m or 94 per cent was allocated to the National Assembly while the remaining amount of about P8.9m or six per cent would be allocated to Ntlo Ya Dikgosi.

Meanwhile, Mr Morwaeng informed MPs that the years 2020 and 2021 were difficult due to the outbreak of COVID-19 as the country procured vaccines to save people’s lives.

He said Parliament, like other arms of government, was adversely affected by COVID-19 and had to endure budget cuts and exercise belt-tightening measures in order to make the required savings, hence it was not able to undertake some projects and oversight programmes, which were planned for the year under review.

Mr Morwaeng further informed legislators that Parliament took advantage of the COVID-19 protocols, which restricted public gatherings and meetings to leverage on information technology, hence the successful virtual meetings of both the 2021 winter session and State of the Nation Address.

‘During those virtual meetings, the National Assembly approved, some bills that were aimed at curbing the deficiencies in the handling of anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing. The passing of these bills led to the removal of Botswana from the Financial Action Task Force grey list,” he said.

On development projects, he said the refurbishment of the recreational facility at the Parliament Village Flats was completed last December and they occupied by MPs.

On the other hand, he indicated that the National Assembly Standing Orders, live broadcasting guidelines and Code of Conduct for MPs, which were key to a smooth-run Parliament, remained in draft form before the respective portfolio committees.

In addition, he said during the 2021/22 financial year, a total of 23 bills were tabled for consideration by the National Assembly, out of which 20 were passed into law.

He said Ntlo Ya Dikgosi, which was equally affected by COVID-19, managed to hold three virtual meetings in June and October 2021 and in January this year.  Ends