The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Honourable Serame request some more funds from the National Assembly.
Serame presented a Supplementary Estimates Expenditure Financial Paper before parliament, which was the second this year.
According to the Minister, the funds are requested for some ministries, which once again are quoting Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) as the reason for overspending. Ministries involved are; Ministry of Health and Wellness, Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, and Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services
A total sum of over Two point four billion Pula (P2.4 billion) is being requested to supplement both reccurent, and development budgets. According to Honourable Serame, ” a total amount of Two billion, Four Hundred and Forty-seven million, Nine Hundred and Fifty-three million, Six hundred and Eighty-seven Pula (P2 447 953 687) is requested through the Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure – Financial Paper No.2 of 2021/2022 for both the Recurrent and Development Budgets.”
Five Hundred and Eighty Seven million, Three Hundred and Fifty- Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty Pula (P587 359 180) would be used to supplement the Recurrent budget, while One Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand, Five Hundred and Seven Pula (P1 860 594 507) would be used under the Development budget.
Out of Five Hundred and Eighty Seven million, Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, One hundred and eighty Pula (P587 359 180) requested under the recurrent budget, Five Hundred and Sixty Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand, Five Hundred Pula (P560 621 500) is requested for Ministry of Health and Wellness and the remaining balance of Twenty Six Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty Pula (P26 737 680) is requested for the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security.
Ministry of Health and Wellness intends to use the money for procuring booster vaccines, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Oxygen Concentrators and Oxygen Generation Plants. On the other hand, Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security request money on for Botswana Defence Force (BDF), which will be used for maintenance of equipment and the de-induction phase.
The funds requested by Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services will be utilized for “Major projects such as Maun Water and Sanitation Contracts 1 & 2; NSC2.2 – Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant, and NSC 2.2 Contracts 1, 2, 3 and 4 were delayed by procurement challenges and disputes, resulting in low expenditure levels for the first three (3) years of the Plan period.”
