06 Dec 2022

Minister for State President Mr Kabo Morwaeng has presented to Parliament the draft second Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) (April 2023- March 2025) for approval.

Delivering the presentation to Parliament on Monday, Minister Morwaeng said emphasis during the TNDP should be on implementation if the country is to realise its objectives of becoming a high-income economy and achieving prosperity for all.

He said the plan had a budgetary estimate of P64.07 billion over two year period. Mr Morwaeng said in October Parliament approved the principle that a two-year TNDP be prepared and tabled and that the NDP12 be implemented effective 2025/26 financial year.

Mr Morwaeng explained that the plan was divided in two, with part one dealing with policies and strategies while the second part covers projects and programmes earmarked for implementation during the plan period.

“Part one of the plan contains 10 chapters with the first five chapters covering general principles and macroeconomic issues. Chapters 6 to 9 address the thematic working areas which speak to four pillars of the vision namely sustainable economic development, human and social development, sustainable environment and governance as well as peace and security.

The last chapter is about implementation, monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective implementation and accountability,” he said.

He said the theme for the plan: towards a high-income economy, transformation now, prosperity tomorrow, reflected an urgent call for change to succeed in the desire to transform the economy.

Minister Morwaeng said the plan proposed eight priorities which were influenced among others by the Mid-term review of NDP 11 and the ERTP, the RESET and RECLAIM Agenda, government strategic thrusts, global and domestic macro-economic developments and the desire to achieve prosperity for all by 2036.

He said the fundamental objective of the TNDP would be to achieve a diversified private sector led growth with government only playing a facilitating role.

“The plan should serve as an action plan for reforms towards the future we want, build on the NDP 11 fundamentals of achieving inclusive growth, creation of sustainable employment and poverty eradication,” he added.

Mr Morwaeng said chapter one introduced the plan giving background information on the national planning system in Botswana, the challenges and reforms introduced by government over the years.

He said the chapter further acknowledged that Botswana had started to reposition for continued and sustainable development, starting with the Reset Agenda, the review of the Constitution as well as institutional reforms including reforms on the planning process introduced through government-wide rationalisation exercise announced this year.

Chapter two provided information on the country’s physical and social structure including the constitutional framework, geography and population.

He said chapter three gives an assessment of the performance of the global and domestic economy during the NDP 11 looking at trends in GDP growth, the impact of the crises that hit the world economies, trade trends, performance of the diamond sector, climate change including its effects on lives and livelihood.

Mr Morwaeng said chapter four highlighted the macro-fiscal projections required for preparation of the plan as well as fiscal resources likely to be raised and made available to finance the national development imperatives. 

He said the chapter ends by recognising government investment account which had over the years deteriorated as well as ensuring that financial liabilities or debt were kept within statutory limits.

He said chapter five presented key policy priorities or national development strategies that should take the economy forward. 

“It lays the foundation for what needs to be done to achieve the necessary structural transformation to move to a higher growth path,” he said.

He said the plan identified eight key policy priorities which include supporting export-led growth and attracting FDI, supporting the private sector through Business Environment reform and value chain development, innovation and digital transformation, financial sector reform, infrastructure development and spatial planning, green transition, fiscal sustainability ad education and human capital development. ends