On Wednesday's parliamentary questions and answers
Staff Writer | Thursday July 17, 2014 10:49
Tertiary students
allowances
Question: Rayner Makosha ( Nata/Gweta):
Asked the Acting Minister of Education and Skills Development to brief the House on the status of the tertiary students allowances in Botswana with a specific reference to: the amount paid to on and off campus students respectively, the difference between these allowances, and for the minister to explain the rationale for the differences and to state when the situation will be corrected.
Answer: The ministry pays a monthly living allowance of P1,420 to off campus students. This is meant to cater for their accommodation, meals and transport. In self-catering, full board residencies such as at University of Botswana, students are paid P1,208.40. This is calculated at P35.28 daily meal allowance and P150 monthly allowance for toiletries. In the case of full board, full catering, students are paid P150 to cater for their basic needs such as toiletries. These are students in public institutions like Institute of Health Sciences, Colleges of Education, Botswana College of Agriculture and Botswana Accountancy College. The difference between these allowances depends on accommodation status of students. Students on full board, self catering accommodation have their accommodation paid for by the ministry. Off campus students, on the other hand, have to use their allowances to pay for accommodation, transport and buy food and toiletries. In 2007, due to the economic downturn, off-campus allowances were reduced by P500 to the current rate of P1,420. My ministry is aware of these differences and would like to review the situation as soon as the economic situation improves.
Competitive
bidding in tourism
Question: Tawana Moremi (Maun West):
Asked the Minister of Lands and Housing: what the competitive tender process seeks to achieve in Tourism and concession and how the practice of management contracting to third parties reconciles with the bids submitted when tendering.
Answer: Competitive tender process for tourism concession areas and campsites seeks to ensure that the concessions and camps or lodge sites are leased to entities with the best innovative ideas that will bring the highest economic returns to the country in the form of employment creation, income generated and lease rental at minimal environmental cost. The contracting of management of the concessions or sites to third parties does not deviate from the original management plan submitted at the time of tendering. The management plan, which forms part of the lease agreement, remains valid, regardless of who is in charge of managing the area or the site.
Wildlife models
before 1992
Question: Tawana Moremi (Maun West):
Asked the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism what wildlife/land use management model was in use prior to the intriduction of the Wildlife Management Area/Controlled Hunting Area model as a result of the implementation of the Wildlife and National Parks Act of 1992.
Answer: The concept of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and Controlled Hunting Areas (CHAs) predates the coming into force of the Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act of 1992 and indeed the Wildlife Conservation Policy Paper No.1 of 1986. The WMA concept arose from the Tribal Grazing Land Policy (TGLP) Government Paper No.2 of 1975 which directed that there would be three categories of land, namely commercial Farming areas, Communal Grazing Land and Reserved Areas. The latter included land set aside for wildlife utilisation. The Fauna Conservation Act was accordingly amended to cover this category of land use. The same Act also recognised the existence of Controlled Hunting Areas within which hunting could be done based on quotas set by the competent authority. During National Development Plan V, parts of Kgalagadi, Ghanzi, Ngamiland, Southern and Chobe Districts were set aside as WMAs. Some of these areas were subsequently approved by the respective Land Boards in consultation with respective district councils.