Wean off burdensome parastatals

The 2012-13 Auditor General’s report on the performance of certain state-owned enterprises presents nothing new. It is generally well-known that the BPC, BMC, WUC, Air Botswana and Botswana Railways are among perennial loss-making parastatals, which have over the years cost the taxpayer billions in lost dividend revenue, subsidies and loan guarantees.


What is new in the report is the inordinate extent to which losses have risen and the equally steep subsidies that have been required to plug the hole at these subsidiaries. The BPC, alone, recorded a loss of P1.25 billion during the year under review even with the benefit of an P871 million subsidy. This year, the BPC will receive P1.5 billion in the form of a subsidy, on top of P1.4 billion last year.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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