BOTEC, RIPCO in 'merger' breakthrough

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Friday March 19, 2010 00:00

The Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Johnnie Swartz said during his ministry's budget proposal for 2010/2011 yesterday that the intention is to expedite the exercise within the deadline, as both organisation have reported increased anxiety among staff resulting in some leaving.

'Following the Presidential Directive CAB 37 (B)/2009 on the merger of BOTEC and RIPCO, my ministry is consulting with the affected parties in order to start the implementation process,' Swartz said.

Notwithstanding these developments, the minister stressed that critical ongoing programmes and projects for BOTEC and RIPCO, like the Kgalagadi Sand Building, would be allowed to continue without disruption.

He said with the ongoing implementation of the merging of the two institutions, 'there will be financial implications associated with the exercise, whose magnitude has not yet been determined as the decision to rationalise parastatals was made (only) recently'.

He said the ministry headquarters requested an allocation of P90, 156 910 or 21 percent of the ministry's total budget, with P64, 527 170 as subventions to RIPCO and BOTEC, and the remaining P25, 629 740 proposed for MIST - Headquarters' department of Corporate Services. MIST was requesting a total of P429, 508, 720 and P77, 88, 000 for the recurrent and development budgets for the financial year 2010/2011 respectively.

The MIST comprises four departments: Department of Corporate Services, Department of Building and Engineering Services, Department of Research, Science and Technology and the Department of Radiation Protection Inspectorate.