GCC acts to ensure sustained growth - mayor

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Wednesday March 24, 2010 00:00

Its establishment follows permanent secretary to the President, Eric Molale's call during his tour around the country last year.

Speaking at the full council meeting on Monday, the city mayor said that government has for a long time been spending money on both development and recurrent projects which foreign and big companies undertook. She explained that Gaborone District has 'moved a step forward in reversing the situation' to achieve sustainable local economic development and employment creation.

Lesole said that the committee is mandated to identify and promote economic opportunities presented by government and the private sector spending within the district for local businesses to participate meaningfully in diversifying the economy, achieving sustainable economic development and employment creation.

According to the mayor, the committee comprises various experts from the public and private sector, parastatals, and non-government organisations (NGOs). She explained that the experts would be providing advice to local businesses to exploit investments from all sectors of the economy to grow their businesses and create employment as well as to identify, profile and market business opportunities for purposes of local economic development.

'The formation of this committee is a step in the right direction, I therefore urge the community of Gaborone to take advantage of opportunities that will be presented to them by this committee,' Lesole said.

On other issues, the mayor revealed that GCC has been allocated a budget of P278, 775, 670. for the financial year 2009/2010 and as of February 2010 the council expended P245, 020, 393. 62, representing a recurrent expenditure of 88 percent of the budget. Lesole said at the beginning of 2009/ 2010 financial year, the council planned to collect P46, 675, 000 of the P88, 818, 248.28 in rates arrears and P29, 382, 260 from other sources of revenue. Lesole revealed that they did not meet the target and managed to collect only P38, 872, 064. 03 from rates and P16, 268, 665. 42 from other income sources. The mayor further revealed that the council has plans to open an administrative authority at Old Naledi SHHA Offices by next month. 'Arrangements are at an advanced stage. Some council staff will be redeployed to the station and a request for the creation of a post to head the authority has been sent to the Ministry of Local Government for consideration and subsequent filling,' she said.

Lesole said that currently the council is undertaking rehabilitation projects including knitting and sewing, vegetable production, dressmaking, bakery and beadwork. She said a total of 51 people are currently benefiting from these projects.

Lesole said that most of the beneficiaries are able-bodied destitute persons, graduated orphans, out of school youth and young women. 'The implementation of such projects is faced with the challenges of shortage of funds but I would like to applaud some organisations like the European Union (EU) for their continued support in funding some of these projects,' Lesole said.

She also stated that the council is currently preparing for the implementation of the 2010/2011 Ipelegeng programme, which will emphasise more on intensified maintenance of public facilities that include clinics, classrooms, toilets in schools, staff houses and government offices. Gaborone has been allocated P8, 507, 099. 06 for the programme with preparations ongoing for the prioritisation and selection of projects to be included under the programme, Lesole stated.