10 Feb 2014

Some Members of Parliament say the western part of the country has been neglected as the 2014/15 national budget does not have much for the area.

The MPs were responding to the 2014/15 national budget speech presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Kenneth Matambo.

MP for Kgalagadi North, Mr Philip Khwae said construction of dams, tarring of roads and other infrastructure developments were concentrated along the railway line.

He said since there were no developments in the western part, they would always migrate to other parts of the country in search of employment opportunities.

MP Khwae said since the Minister of Finance and Development Planning had presented a surplus budget , the money should be channeled to developments in their area.  He said they were long promised additional teachers’ houses but the projects had not yet started hence they are starved of employment.

MP Khwae said the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources had done little for his area hence they depended solely on Ipelegeng for employment.

Mr Khwae further said a number of businesses were walking on tight rope due to constant power outages but Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) could not offer any compensation as they were protected by the law.

The Kgalagadi North legislator said the GABS payroll system negatively affected businesses as it was constantly down resulting in late payments to suppliers. He however patted local authorities on the back saying they paid on time but they needed to speed up their auditing.

For his part, MP for Letlhakeng East, Mr Liekat Kablay said the budget speech had nothing for his constituents save for Ipelegeng as they did not have major development projects.

He called on the Ministry of Health to monitor the situation in rural areas saying people there were bound to suffer more when there was shortage of medication in health facilities.  Ambulances also taook long at the Central Transport Organisation for servicing, he added.

He said they were long promised a hospital and as the government failed to build one for them, they requested a clinic to ease congestion as there was only one clinic in Letlhakeng.

The Letlhakeng East legislator welcomed poverty eradication programme but complained that beneficiaries took long to be assisted as some were yet to receive their packages. He further said orphans were no longer supplied with monthly food basket yet do not receive poverty eradication programme.

MP Kablay said ISPAAD had benefited his constituents although they had to contend with unreliable rainfall and tractor owners who requested deposits from field owners after planting.

MP for Kweneng East, Major Gen Moeng Pheto lambasted the Ministry of Agriculture for changing ISPAAD regulations without informing farmers and tractor owners.

He said previously tractor owners were paid before continuing to the next area after measuring the ploughing fields , complaining that now it took longer for them to be paid. MP Pheto said cluster fencing was impossible and bound to fail as people found it difficult to merge their fields.

He however called for the speedy connection of electricity and backlog eradication. He said the standard of health in rural areas had declined after the sector was transferred to the parent ministry.  ENDS