04 Nov 2025

Construction of a new Parliament Chamber and offices for Members of Parliament have been cited as some of the priority projects under the National Development Plan 12 (NDP 12).

Proposing the P30 billion Public Investment Programme (PIP) budget on Friday, the Assistant Minister for State President, Ms Maipelo Mophuting said the proposed budget included P5.87 billion earmarked for the National Assembly and Ntlo ya Dikgosi to enhance operations and effectiveness of the two institutions, as well as strengthen the role of Parliament as an oversight body.

“The funds are also for the refurbishment of the Parliament building, establishment of the Parliament training institute, the Parliamentary heritage project, upgrading of network at constituency offices, construction of new Parliament Chamber and MP offices, among others.

“Furthermore, Ntlo ya Dikgosi chamber will be refurbished, computerisation and establishment of printing facilities for Parliament, as well as carrying out modifications to facilitate live broadcasting of proceedings, comprising installation of state of the art studio lights and production equipment,” she said.

Additionally, Ms Mophuting said the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and Botswana Police Service (BPS) had the highest shares of the estimated budget at P12.9 billion and P9.7 billion respectively.

As for BDF, she said the proposed funds would go toward providing infrastructure, equipment, aircrafts and vehicles to address security challenges and emerging threats.

In addition to constructing new police stations and renovating existing facilities, she said the BPS budget was intended to provide officers accommodation and enhance the overall service delivery. “The programme also aims to enhance connectivity and citizens’ access to services, while strengthening the Botswana Police Service’s intelligence capacity to effectively address cyber security challenges,” she noted.

Ms Mophuting noted that the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) has a budget proposal of P3.5 billion, which would be invested in developing transmission systems and equipment for improved service delivery.  “The objective of the programme is to provide infrastructure for the media industry, being radio and television, to enable the development of the creative industry and contribute to a knowledge-based economy,” she said. She also highlighted that the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), with a budget estimate of P248 million will be delinked from the public service during the plan period.

She said besides strengthening the corruption investigation and prevention measures, the department would also use part of the budget for capacity building to respond to evolving corruption patterns. ENDS