01 Dec 2022

While the two-year transitional phase of the National Development Plan) will attempt to address development backlogs, projects will be determined by availability of funds, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ms Peggy Serame has said.

Ms Serame, also specially elected MP said this when debating the State-of-the-Nation-Address in Parliament on Wednesday. She said the two-year plan, meant to be a transition between NDP 11 and NDP 12, and also to re-align the national plan to electoral cycles, would prioritise projects based on the accessibility of capital.

She thus urged legislators to understand that there might be a need to rationalise development projects since the revenue accrued to the national coffers might not be able to finance all projects considered key by MPs.

In view of some uncertainty and risks in the global economy, Ms Serame said while there had  been projections that Botswana’s economy would grow at a rate of around 4 per cent, her ministry would have to continuously evaluate such forecasts and update the nation.

She said in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict, Botswana like other countries faced rising inflation. She said her ministry had to introduce measures such as the temporary reduction of the value-added tax (VAT) rate from 14 to 12 per cent to cushion Batswana.

Ms Serame said having evaluated such measures, she would update Parliament during the forthcoming budget speech in February on what steps would be taken going forward.

Moreover, the minister called for improved productivity in the public service, registering the concern that government comes up with good policies but implementation becomes a challenge owing to inefficient delivery in the civil service.

She thanked Parliament and other stakeholders who worked hard to ensure that the country was removed from Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylisting and European Union (EU) blacklisting.

Ms Serame said the country would continue to ensure strong measures to combat financial terrorism and money laundering and called on legislators to be patriotic in supporting such action.

With Botswana now having taken over the presidency of the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group, the country would need to show leadership in that regard.

Ms Serame said her ministry, the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs as well as the Attorney General’s Chambers was evaluating coming up with a new policy approach to ease public concern regarding the land transfer duty.

Meanwhile, Tati West Member of Parliament Mr Simon Moabi said the governing Botswana Democratic Party was delivering on some of its electoral promises such as the constitutional review, mother tongue education and the upgrading of sub-district councils.

Nonetheless, Mr Moabi complained that his constituency was lagging behind in development. 

He said there was an artificial lack of land in the area since there were absentee landlords who owned large tracts of freehold land that he said should be repossessed for the benefit of the community.

He said the rate of crime in said roads linking the villages of Gulubane, Mambo, Masingwane and Sechele road should be tarred as well as the one linking Mbalambi, Sikakangwe, Gumbule and Zwenshambe for improved infrastructure.

Mr Moabi said there was a need for a fire station to be constructed at Masunga, to protect lives and government property as the village hosted the headquarters of the North East district with its district council and various government departments. Ends