The Khama address - highlights

| Tuesday November 4, 2008 00:00

 

Sports incentives and improved healthcare, land ownership for youth and low-income earners Khama recognises the desperate desire for house ownership by the youth and people at the lower end of the social scale.

In this regard, he implicitly notes the inability of market forces to assist those most in need, as exemplified by banks and their unwillingness, until recently, to give these two groups access to credit for building houses.

' We are also in the process of devising strategies for provision of accommodation for young people and public officers, especially in the lower grades,' the President said.

'Government will also provide support for a new Instalment Purchase Scheme to be administered by the Botswana Housing Corporation.

This scheme will provide expanded accessible and affordable housing for rent and purchase by citizens, with those without any form of housing given priority,' he said. To facilitate this, a fund is to be set up to avail affordable loans to these groups.

For farmers

Khama further targets subsistence farmers who make up one of the most important groups in this country's economic and social landscape. He announced that the Ministry of Agriculture has registered 1, 600 tractors from individuals for the ISPAAD project, which will see the government plough people's fields for free.

Khama said government is also buying 60 more tractors in a move aimed at commercialising farming. However, he warned that only serious farmers will be given support.

The ISPAAD programme will also avail free fertiliser, seeds, dig boreholes and provide cluster fencing to small farmers. 'ISPAAD will develop commercial farming while reducing the need to import food,' Khama said. He added that an Agricultural Hub is being established to encourage and support greater commercialisation and sustainable diversification of the sector, as well as improve food security.

To support the growth of the agricultural sector, Khama said farm implements and spares will be exempted from VAT.

Meanwhile, the CEDA Young Farmers Fund, established to encourage the youth to enter commercial farming, has also now taken off. One hundred and fifty one projects valued at P58 million have been assisted through the scheme.

The CEDA Development Fund has so far approved 177 projects, valued at P124 million in the current financial year. This brings the total number of projects financed through the programme to 2,229 at a total value of P1. 27 billion. These have created 12, 567 jobs.

Youth officer in every ministry

Khama also announced that in order to improve coordination of youth activities, each ministry now has a youth officer post.

'This will ensure that youth issues are fully addressed by both government and the private sector. Youth officers with funding to support empowerment initiatives will be posted in each constituency.

Opening up the 'closed' diamond industry

Khama announced that a Diamond Office will be opened before the end of this month as a one-stop shop for industry stakeholders. It will monitor diamond supply agreements and ensure compliance with the Kimberly Process.

Incentives for sports

Khama also announced that he has introduced monthly allowances to professional footballers in top division leagues. Similar arrangements will extend to other sports codes. 'We will continue to review the strategies to ensure that we develop competitive sportspersons in different codes in order to encourage competition and quality.'

Khama said constituency football competitions for non-league players within districts and necessary funding arrangements for games and prizes to be won have also been introduced and will be sustained.

Facilitating business practice

The President said because of concerns that the tax system in Botswana is complicated and is a dis-incentive to investors, it is being reviewed with the aim of simplifying it. Khama also said government will continue seeking double taxation agreements to reduce the cost of doing business in Botswana.

Specialist services in health

Khama said a Health Hub is being established to identify projects and programmes that will make Botswana a centre of excellence in the provision of healthcare services.

Khama also announced that government is in the process of outsourcing some portions of its hospitals to specialists after realising that the country is experiencing shortages of skilled personnel to optimise the quality of service of the excellent health facilities the government have built. Khama said the Scottish Livingston Hospital in Molepolole would have a portion outsourced to the University of Bonn, Germany, to set up a Cardiac Centre of Excellence.

'Such outsourcing to reputable private operators will allow more specialists to establish in our country, thus providing Batswana with services they have (hitherto) had to obtain from outside the country,' Khama said.

Medical fees for the aged and handicapped

The Ministry of Health has recently developed a policy to improve affordability and accessibility for complex ailments. Implementation is on a selective basis using age, probability of success and cost of maintenance as criteria. Medical fees for old-age pensioners and the handicapped have been waived.

1,039 prisoners releasedw

To promote prisoner rehabilitation and self-employment, ex-convicts will be afforded the opportunity to use prison facilities for a limited time for training and raising seed capital. 'To further promote rehabilitation, I ordered the remission of sentences of certain categories of prisoners,' said the President.

'This has so far resulted in the early release of 1,039 prisoners, which, I must stress, is conditional on their continued good behaviour. Should they default, they will be sent back to prison to serve the remainder of their sentences.'