20 Mar 2014

All residents of Morula and Bophirima wards in the Gaborone West South Constituency who had applied for the Poverty Eradication Programme were given feedback on November 28, 2013 at Gaborone West Community Hall, Parliament has been informed.

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri said none of the residents of Morula and Bophirima Wards was awaiting a response since March 2013.

Answering a question in Parliament from the Member of Parliament for Gaborone West South, Mr Botsalo Ntuane, the assistant minister said there was no standard turnaround time because of the diverse nature and varying environments within which the poverty eradication projects were rolled out.

He further said the major stages and processes influencing turnaround time included business management and technical training, tendering processes and procurement of project inputs and equipment among others.

Mr Matlhabaphiri, however, said measures were being put in place to ensure that the time taken for beneficiaries to receive and operate projects was reduced. Membership of panels, which assess requests for enrolment in the Poverty Eradication Programme comprises of public servants and councilors, he said.

MP Botsalo had asked the minister if he was aware that residents of Morula and Bophirima wards in Gaborone West South Constituency had long applied for the Poverty Eradication Programme and had been waiting for response since March 2013. He also wanted to know the turnaround time for submission, assessment, finalisation and approval of applications.

Mr Ntuane further asked the minister to state the composition of the panel for assessing the Poverty Eradication applications and whether Councillors are not part of the panel, and if not, would the minister consider including them as they are familiar with the needs of the people they represent. Ends