While debating the Midterm Review (NDP 10) in Parliament this week, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okavango, Bagalatia Aron, described the workshop as a party and said he is still waiting for his colleague Frank Ramsden, who attended, to brief him on "how they celebrated the party".Whereupon Masisi interjected and stressed that "this was not a party". He said the opposition members can say whatever they want about the recent poverty eradication event. "The total cost of the workshop is currently estimated at P2.5 million, the payments to service providers are ongoing and therefore, we can only have a definite figure once all payments have been made," said Masisi.
The minister said the cost for accomodation per night will be paid according to different categories of tents and that category one tents were 50 (non-sharing) and that each unit price was P2, 300, hence P345, 000 for all. Category two included 40 tents (sharing), hence 80 people, each P2, 300 and P276, 000 all. Category three included 10 none sharing and each tent cost P1, 300 and P36, 000 all. The last category included 27 people sharing, hence 54 and P1, 400 each tent and P113, 400 for all.Therefore Masisi said the total cost for all tents was P770, 400. The minister however, said it should be noted that safari accomodation in Maun, a tourist destination, is expensive relative to other areas and that the normal price for the category one type of tent is P4, 500 per tent, "but it was negotiated down to P2, 300 for this event," he said.
