The difficulty of spending P13bn in a year

Public works: Successfully delivering infrastructure projects opens up economic opportunities for citizens 
PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Public works: Successfully delivering infrastructure projects opens up economic opportunities for citizens PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

The mammoth P12.7 billion infrastructure budget proposed by Finance Minister, Peggy Serame and including long-awaited critical projects such as the Francistown-Nata corridor, is a much welcome development. The challenge now facing government is once again implementation, notes, Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI

An analysis of the development budget and how it has been spent in the past few years, does little to raise confidence that Finance Minister, Peggy Serame’s proposed allocation of P12.7 billion for projects, will see each and every thebe go where it needs to go and achieve what it needs to achieve.

According to notes from the Finance Ministry, between the 2016-17 and 2020-21 fiscal years, an average of 88% of the development budgets allocated through that period were actually spent, or just over four of every five thebe.

Editor's Comment
Molepolole unrest: Urgent attention on missing person cases

From Jakoba's mysterious disappearance on November 9 to the grim discovery of his remains at Mosinki Lands, a gap in the response mechanisms of the police and village leadership has been laid bare. The community's anger is evident, seen in the attack on Bakang Masole, the man found driving Jakoba's taxi and the main suspect, and the subsequent riot. Residents express discontent, citing a troubling trend of missing persons cases often...

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