More funds towards education, health budgets
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday February 3, 2015 15:06
The ministry’s proposed allocation represents 28.1 percent of the total recurrent budget of P36.7 billion and comes in the wake of assistant education minister, Moiseraele Goya, stating government’s desire to resolve long standing problems within the portfolio.
Delivering the budget speech, Finance and Development Planning minister, Kenneth Matambo said the increased allocation to education was strategic.
“This demonstrates government’s commitment to increase education funding with a view to supporting human capital development,” he said.
The bulk of funding will go towards student bursaries for post-secondary education at P2.25 billion as well as subventions to government-supported institutions such as the University of Botswana, Botswana International University of Science and Technology and others at P1.2 billion.
Costs associated with the Levels of Operations arrangement within the teaching staff will be allocated P644 million while food and service charges for secondary schools will receive P342.63 million and in-service Training P235.83 million.
Under the development budget, the Education Ministry received P844.6 million which will largely cater for the construction of unified schools (secondary schools) at Tsabong and Takatokwane as well as junior secondary schools in Maun and Francistown.
As a way of addressing the long-running battle to accommodate teachers in public schools, Matambo also proposed P100 million for the construction of additional teachers houses.
Speaking ahead of the budget, Goya said heavy funding would be required going forward to spruce up the state of public education infrastructure, following an audit that found that classrooms and teachers houses were generally dilapidated.
The Ministry of Health was also a winner in yesterday’s budget, being allocated P5.7 billion or the second highest share of the recurrent budget.
The figure represents an increase of 8.7 percent over the 2014/15 financial year, which ends on March 31.
Matambo explained that the provision for health spending was mainly to address the HIV/AIDS scourge, including elimination of mother-to-child transmission at a combined total of P1.11 billion, medical Aid requirements for both Central and Local Government employees at P261.8 million, fees for medical specialists at P255.4 million, as well as grants and subventions to mission hospitals and non-governmental rehabilitation centres at P141.6million.
The Ministry was also allocated P203.8 million for the construction of nursing staff houses at various locations and for designs of hospitals to be built at Mochudi and Moshupa.
Meanwhile, the successor of the national vision 2016 is due to be launched in September, Matambo said. Matambo reported that the National Strategy Office has been tasked with the preparations for the Vision Beyond 2016 process.
“The diagnostic studies of the four thematic areas of Economy and Employment, Social Upliftment, Sustainable Environment and Governance and Safety and Security, have been undertaken,” he said.
Furthermore, the Botswana Economic Advisory Council, chaired by President Ian Khama, has approved the draft vision framework, which is intended to guide discussion and consultations with the general public as from April 2015, Matambo said.
A Presidential Task Team was also due to be appointed in March 2015 and will lead the development of the next Vision. The team is expected to conclude its work by December 2015.