MoLG allocated P4bn recurrent budget

LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent | Friday March 16, 2012 00:00

Presenting the budget in Parliament, Minister Peter Siele said the P342,000,000 would be used to manage the District Multi-Sectoral Aids Committee activities (DMSAC), the Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and Home Based Care programmes, 'the growth in Personnel Emoluments due to the three percent salary adjustment awarded in September and three percent annual incremental creep. Out of the 2012-13 recurrent budget provision he said P1,705,966,550, that is 39.92 percent, would be shared among eight departments and the District Administration and Tribal Administration institutions countrywide. 'The remaining P2,567,863,590 will be Revenue Support Grant (RSG) to local authorities', he said.

Further he said local authorities would raise P333,016,260 to augment RSG from own sources of revenue, property rates and service levy in towns and cities, user fees and licences in district councils.  Forty one percent of the budget goes to personnel emoluments, while the remaining 59 will be available for day to day activities of local authorities, including maintenance of public facilities and these include schools, roads, street lights, fleet maintenance, management and disposal of waste.  Looking at corruption, the minister said he would ensure that the Corruption Prevention Committees in departments and local authorities are effective in dealing with corruption prevention and reporting progress on regular basis. 'Anti-Corruption Unit of my ministry has opened various avenues through which reports of suspected acts of corruption are received from informers,' he said adding that the intention is to ensure ultimately that corruption is rooted out of the system.

On the issue of child protection, he said the ministry advocates for protection of the right of every Motswana child to be given a chance to develop and fully realise their potential. To this end, the ministry has developed the National Plan of Action on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) 2010-2016. According to the minister, the plan aims to provide a tool for communicating with key stakeholders in response to OVC matters at all levels that require consensus for effective response. Further the minister revealed that funding for the OVC Care Programme will no longer be disbursed through National Aids Coordinating Agency (NACA), 'but will be budgeted for under my ministry with effect from April 2012'.

An amount of P400 million has been set aside for supplementary feeding to primary schools and vulnerable groups. Agricultural products like watermelons and green melons will augment the menu. The provision is also expected to cater for wages of 2,560 hand-stumpers and 630 supervisors who are paid on rates aligned to Ipelegeng in all the districts.

Kgatleng has been blessed by the newly completed fire station and the minister revealed that the Japanese have donated five vehicles. Other fire stations include those of Maun and Palapye. Therefore he said they would assist the councils involved to respond to calls during emergency fire outbreaks.