14 Feb 2024

The many glitches associated with the poor performance of the Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS) are impediments to productivity and economic growth.

Serowe West MP, Mr Onalepelo Kedikilwe said this when contributing to the ongoing debate on  2024/2025 budget proposal in Parliament.

Mr Kedikilwe said the malfunction of the GABS was the major contributor to low productivity in government’s execution of financial transactions, especially payment to suppliers of goods and services.

“GABS has overtime experienced many challenges of sub-optimal performance and has in recent time failed to even process payment vouchers of government suppliers something which could hinder the growth of the economy,” Mr Kedikilwe said.He said government had failed Batswana in many aspects, especially in the provision of basic necessities like water, healthcare and quality education.

“It is disappointing that more than 60 years into our democracy, Batswana are still decrying the shortage of medicines at clinics and lack of stationery at schools with pupils in some constituencies expected to bring their own furniture to school,” he said.

Also contributing to the debate, Shashe West Member of Parliament, Mr Fidelis Molao commended government for a substantial budgetary provision amounting to P20.8 billion under both the development and recurrent budget. He also applauded the creation of the Chema Chema Fund, saying it identified the great potential for the informal sector to play a more meaningful role in the overall economic development and job creation efforts.

Mr Molao praised the P3.95 billion development budget proposal for the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, noting with appreciation the inclusion of  the Makalamapedi-Motopi, Mmandunyane-Shashemooke– Borolong-Chadibe-Mathangwane and Gaborone–Boatle roads.

He further called on government to bring an end to the cross-border cattle rustling along the Botswana-Zimbabwe border villages.

Mr Molao, who is also Minister of Agriculture, commended government for the introduction of the Temo Letlotlo programme, highlighting that it would improve food security.

He said although the programme experienced teething problems at inception, it was nonetheless a productivity output-based reward agro-ecological programme whose main aim was to improve food security in the country. ENDS