25 Mar 2026

Parliament has approved revenue appropriation of over P23.4 billion thus authorising government to withdraw funds from the consolidated fund for state expenditure to enable implementation of approved budget priorities. 

Government funds include three main funds which are appropriated for, in order to ensure accountability and compliance with budgets and legal restrictions. The Consolidated Fund, is the major fund established in the country’s Constitution into which all government revenues or other monies raised or received for the purposes of government shall be paid and from which funds are appropriated to meet the expenditures for the purpose of government as authorised by the Constitution Appropriation Act and other acts of Parliament. 

Presenting the proposals on Tuesday, Minister of Finance, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe indicated that the Development Fund (DF) and the Tertiary Education Development Fund (TEDF) were the main funds that were established to cater for development programmes and projects. 

“The annual appropriations made from the consolidated fund into the two funds sought to authorise spending on the development programmes and projects and accountability of the same. The Development Fund (DF), established under Section 36 of the Public Finance Management Act and maintained as a separate account, was used for financing government projects for economic and social development,” Mr Gaolathe said. 

He explained that within the Development Fund, the Domestic Development Fund (DDF) was financed through domestic sources and excluded external sources of funding such as loans and grants.

He said the TEDF was also a Special Fund set up with the purpose to meet the costs of establishment of the Medical School and its associated facilities as well as expansion of the University of Botswana and the establishment of the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST). 

Accordingly, he said the 2026/2027 revenue proposal was aimed to finance a total of P23.4 billion comprising appropriation of funds to the DDF to finance part of the total Development Expenditure amounting to P23.2 billion as projects under the TEDF amounting to P280.7 million.

He said of the total Development Fund expenditure, P23.2 billion was proposed for appropriation from the Consolidated Fund Revenue to the DDF to finance part of the 2026/2027 development programmes while the balance would be financed through loans and development grants as well as direct receipts into the Development Fund. 

He said P180.7 million of the TEDF was proposed for allocation to Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital with the funds earmarked for the procurement of essential medical equipment to support daily operations as well as for upgrading of information technology systems and software in order to improve efficiency in service delivery. 

As a teaching hospital, he said the allocation directly advanced the strengthening of clinical training platforms, enhancing research capacity and improving the quality of health professionals. 

Furthermore, Mr Gaolathe indicated that an amount of P50 million was proposed for the construction of student hostels through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) implementation model at BIUST. The funds, he said would also cover expansion of lecture rooms, thereby increasing teaching space, improving the learning environment and supporting higher enrolment in science and technology programmes. 

He noted that in addition, a further allocation P50 million was proposed for the University of Botswana (UB), for the continuation of on-campus student accommodation for 630 students.

“This investment supports the objectives of TEDF by expanding institutional infrastructure, improving student welfare and creating an enabling learning environment conducive to academic success,” he said.

He added that the project would enable UB to accommodate all first year and international students on campus with the total requirement been 1,800 additional beds aimed at systematically addressing accommodation shortages and supporting planned enrolment growth. BOPA