18 Feb 2024

To transform the agricultural sector, the necessary supporting infrastructure, including access roads to production centres should be  prioritised, says MP for Thamaga/Kumakwane,  Mr  Palelo  Motaosane.

Debating the 2024/2025 budget  proposal last week, Mr Motaosane  commended the Ministry of Finance for increasing the agricultural development budget from P2.6 billion in 2023/2024 to  P2.8 billion in 2024/2025.

He also applauded government for acknowledging that most of the country’s  population was self-employed in agricultural activities, and that it was the  most direct channel of  job creation.

 He said investing in agriculture was important due to the sector’s business  and export  potential as well as its centrality to livelihoods. 

“In order to diversify the economy and create sustainable jobs, government  must strive to make  agriculture more productive and appealing to the youth,” he  said.

Mr Motaosane also argued that higher agricultural output would promote food security and self sufficiency, adding that it was for that reason that government  needed to be commended for efforts on transforming the sector.

He further commended government for continuously implementing initiatives and programmes geared towards empowering young people in business and skills development.

He said the Youth Development Fund was one of the empowerment schemes that continued to produce positive results. 

He added that since the inception of the programme, a lot of youths lives had been transformed. 

He also said most of the youth had continued to show interest in the programme and that they had come up with viable business projects.

The MP urged the relevant ministry to increase YDF beneficiaries quota in constituencies from  20  to  50  per funding  cycle.

On other issues, Mr Motaosane complained that the benefits of the country’s budgeting system and NDPs were not trickling down to his constituency. 

“It is worrisome that no project under the Transition National Development Plan is carried out in the Thamaga/Kumakwane constituency,” he said, describing it as ‘uneven development’.

Mr Motaosane added that regional disparities in development would slow down the growth of the national economy and that it was important for government to establish policy imperatives to narrow urban-rural socio-economic disparities.

He expressed hope that the refurbishment of the Thamaga Primary Hospital  would be considered  under NDP 12.

Contributing to the debate, Minister  of  Health and Mmathethe/Molapowabojang MP, Dr Edwin Dikoloti said it was commendable of government to devote more resources to infrastructure development. 

He said infrastructure projects had the potential to create more jobs and skills transfer as well as alternative avenues of growth for the economy, using both skilled and unskilled labour.

He expressed hope that some of the intended projects aimed at  addressing  water supply challenges would address the water woes in Mmathethe  and the rest of in his constituency through the implementation of the Good Hope water master plan.

Dr Dikoloti also appealed for a facelift of the Mogojogojo  Tribal Administration offices and kgotla as well as the tarring of the road linking Jwaneng and Maokane  and  Mmathethe-Metlobo-Bray road. ends