Defence ministry gets 12.5% increase

Isaiah Morewagae | Tuesday February 4, 2014 16:07

 

The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo said the money is to cater for maintenance of equipment and vehicles for the security forces, as well as for new positions and vehicle replacement. Matambo stressed that a well-functioning judicial system and low crime environment are some of the prerequisites for private sector investment.

“Therefore, the courts can play a central role in market economies by providing fair, predictable and timely decisions in the disposal of cases. Government is committed to strengthen both the judiciary and the security agents to ensure that Botswana remains a safe destination for investment. Furthermore, in an effort to improve the overall efficiency of the courts and to speed up court processes across the country, digital recording of court proceedings has been installed in the new Gaborone High Court and is already operational,” Matambo said.

He said with a view to ensuring a low crime environment, government will continue to provide appropriate resources to the security agencies, especially the Botswana Police Service.

He further added that in a bid to enhance effectiveness of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) to deal with and combat corruption, the Corruption and Economic Crime (Amendment) Act No. 6 of 2013 has been put into effect as of July 2013.

“The amendments to the Act include new sections covering the abuse of office, expanded conflict of interest, and intimidation of informers. The successful implementation of these and other complementary legal tools such as corruption audits is expected to help reduce government funds that are lost through corruption practices such as; insider trading, dubious land allocation, acquisition and procurement irregularities, and financial fraud. Besides loss of government funds, an environment characterised by high crime tends to discourage foreign direct investment, which is necessary for economic growth and employment creation,” Matambo said.