The meeting will begin with the presentation of the Appropriation (2016/2017) Bill by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Mathambo who straightaway thereafter will present the Budget Speech. The meeting is expected to last for 10 weeks, ending around April 8, 2016. MPs will try hard to debate the budget speech because last year many of them were unable to debate because of political maneuvering by the ruling party. It is widely hoped that Minister Mathambo will provide more details of the Economic Stimulus Programs (ESP). More details of the ESP have been sought by Batswana, the media, MPs and analysts without avail; the President failed dismally in this regard during his State of the Nation Address.
After the general debates on the budget, there will be a detailed examination of the Appropriation Bill in what is called committee stage. A Committee of the whole House, with every Minister able to present their proposal and every MP able to contribute, will be convened. Every clause in the Bill is agreed to, changed or removed from the Bill, although changes and removals are rare especially as initiatives of MPs. Once the Committee stage is done, the Bill will return to Parliament for its report stage, where the amended Bill can be discussed and further amendments be proposed; it can then be passed and receive Presidential assent and become a law.
