21 Dec 2022

Ministries forming Group 3 of the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP), focusing on Sustainable Economic Development as well as Human and Social Development, have presented to Parliament budget proposals for their development projects.

The Minister of Entrepreneurship, Mr Karabo Gare tabled approximately P1.773 billion of which P1.153 billion has been earmarked for new projects while P620 million was for ongoing ones.

Mr Gare said the ministry would adopt a cluster-based approach to provide Small Medium Enterprises (SME) infrastructure development with the aim to enhance productivity, competitiveness and capacity building of SMEs.

“The built infrastructure will support the establishment of SME business hubs with affordable and appropriate Common Facility Centres.

There are three ongoing projects under this programme and they include development of the Leather Industry Park in Lobatse, Livestock marketing concentration centre in Tsabong and Serowe as well as the National Agro-processing Centre in Gaborone and Francistown,” Mr Gare said.

He said a projected development expenditure of P462 million would fund a proposed new project being the construction of SME business hubs along A1 highway and in Francistown.

He said the hubs are expected to serve as a platform for optimal market access for different produce.

Mr Gare proposed P1.085 billion for reforms to improve the ease of doing business, including recapitalisation of the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) value chain financing, capacity building of some enterprise development institutions, hosting entrepreneurship summits and promotion of entrepreneurial culture and mindset.

He said the ministry would also invest in P32.5 million for computerisation to facilitate access of online services by entrepreneurs, covering Electronic Cooperative Registration,

E-commerce, and Agricultural Marketing Application as well as facilitate the leather industry value chain development.

Meanwhile, the Acting Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Setlhabelo Modukanele tabled a budget amounting to P1.72 billion for the ministry for the purpose of broadening tourism, infrastructure development, computerisation, Wildlife Species Management and Environment Protection during the implementation of the Transitional National Development Plan.

Mr Modukanele said an estimated P657 million would be for the development and refurbishment of infrastructure, the bulk of which would go to the Kasane-Kazungula Redevelopment Project intended to transform the area into a sustainable tourism destination.

He said the objective of Broadening the Tourism Base Programme was to expand Botswana tourism through the development of facilities such as tourism parks, museums and monuments.

“In order to diversify the tourism product, the ministry proposes eleven projects with an estimated cost of P428.60 million.

These include nine ongoing and two new projects covering the completion of the construction of Ntsweng Museum, refurbishment of the National Museum & Exhibition, cultural villages at Phuduhudu, Xere, Eretsha and Die Hoek as well as Khuis Tourism Park Development,” Mr Modukanele said.

He also said the programme also entailed the refurbishment of regional museums at Mochudi, Serowe, Kanye, Nhabe, Gantsi and Francistown as well as district monuments at Tsodilo, Tropic of Capricorn, Baratani, Matsieng and Dimawe. Ends