Delay in passing BEC Amendment Bill blocking transformation
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Tuesday December 8, 2015 16:20
In his remarks in the BEC Annual Report 2014-2015 for the year ended March 2015 the BEC Board Council chairman Dr Joseph Tsonope said that among the challenges that made the organisation to come short of fully implementing its strategy has been “the ordinate delay in the approval of the BEC Amendment Bill”.
He said this has created frustration at the BEC as it has put on hold the transformation of the council into a national assessment authority.
“The expectation is that the Bill will be approved during the next financial year,” he said.
Among other things that the transformation seeks is to ensure that the processes are restructured and appropriate human resources engaged to deliver on the new expanded mandate of the organisation.
Tsonope stated that although the organisation had many activities during the year, it also points to the challenges of the next financial year.
He said that just like in the previous year, the organisation faces increasing financial challenges.
“…and this has increased the clarion call for the financial independence of BEC which remains paramount.
As we move forward into the future, the board expects to see the establishment of a business development function at the BEC as well as more initiatives designed to generate alternative funding for the organisation.”
This has limited the ability of the organisation to innovate while making it difficult to meet legitimate obligations. “The BEC will therefore need to review the manner in which it has been pricing products and services.”
Meanwhile, BEC is concerned after incurring a deficit of P9 891 007 and its total liabilities exceeded its total assets by P28 059 601 during the year under review.
The report also indicates that of the P6 million capital committed to the continuing development of the Botswana National Examinations Processing System, the accumulated expenditure stood at P111 852 at the time the report was compiled.