Public sector reforms slated for NDP11
Pauline Dikuelo | Thursday February 5, 2015 11:44
Presenting the Budget Speech on Monday, Minister of Finance and Development Planning Kenneth Matambo, said public sector reforms are critical to improving productivity and achieving efficient public service delivery.
Matambo further said the comprehensive public sector reform coordination was being developed and would be implemented during NDP 11.
“The programme is expected to generate five key results, which includes improved relevance and convergence of public sector reforms and their alignment with national priorities, enhanced coordination, increases capacity of implementing agencies, improved monitoring and evaluation as well as informed decision making on prioritisation and funding,” he said.
These results are expected to improve service delivery within the public sector and thus have a positive bearing on labour productivity and economic growth.
According to Matambo, economic diversification and improvement of productivity should remain a top priority for driving economic growth and ensuring that the economy performs at its potential capacity. He also said economic diversification was a long-term process, and that despite a few achievements government was still besieged with challenges.
“Government has embarked on several strategies that include cluster and value chain development, financial sector support as well as fostering an environment that allows complementarity between macro and micro economic policies and deregulation of domestic markets to promote competition,” he said.
However, the development of the diamond cutting and polishing sector, the establishment of Selibe-Phikwe Steel Manufacturing Plant and the Horticulture Agro-Processing plant which is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2015/20116, are all expected to contribute to growth and economic diversification, thus creating employment opportunities and empowering citizens.
The unemployment rate currently stands at 19.8 percent, which is a challenge for the country especially that it affects mostly the youth. Matambo noted that government would continue to implement various programmes and projects geared towards assisting the youth and women improve their livelihood.
The Development Budget which has been allocated about P13 million is expected to go a long way in creating employment opportunities as it will mainly be spent on infrastructure projects such as construction of new schools, power transmission lines and water pipes. Poor project implementation however remains a niggling concern.
To this end, government has taken additional measures under the National Strategy Office, which will complement existing value for money measures, by improving project implementation across the public sector.