Africa-Press – Botswana. Some projects under the poverty eradication initiative have a potential to go commercial, permanent secretary in the Ministry for State President, Ms Goitsemang Morekisi has said.
Ms Morekisi said this when she appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on July 25.
She told the PAC that transferring the projects from the Ministry of State President to the newly established Ministry of Entrepreneurship would therefore assist them reach their potential.
She added that while still under the Office of the President, the projects aimed to mainly uplift the social status of citizens.
She added: “Under the new ministry, they will now have a chance to open their wings. Most of them were failing because of factors such as inadequate marketing, lack of training and others, and the new ministry would help the projects reach their potential and commercialise. Most of them would be redefined from their social status uplifting objective and they have even changed the name from Poverty Eradication to Wealth Creation.”
She also said the whole purpose of transferring the projects to entrepreneurship ministry was to add value to them and thereby ensure their sustainability.
The Ministry of Entrepreneurship, she said, now had the responsibility of doing public education on the new arrangement.
However, she assured the committee that the Ministry for State President would work together with that of Entrepreneurship for ease of transfer.
“The two ministries are working hand in hand to ensure seamless transfer of such projects and most of the transfer process, including that of staff and budgeting is complete,”she said.” “What is only left is public education on the handing over link.”
On other issues, Ms Morekisi informed the committee that the Disaster Management Policy was revisited after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ministry was working with that of Local Government and Rural Development for better response to disasters.
Ms Morekisi was responding after PAC member, also Member of Parliament for Thamaga-Kumakwane, Mr Palelo Motaosane enquired about how monitoring of poverty eradication projects would improve after the projects were moved to the Ministry of Entrepreneurship.
Mr Motaosane said the that projects should not be imposed on beneficiaries, but instead be allowed to initiate them for themselves.
“This will make it easier for them to succeed because they will be passionate about them,” he said.
Another PAC member, Mr Polson Majaga also advised the Ministry for State President to assist in ensuring seamless transfer of projects to the new ministry.
Mr Wynter Mmolotsi the PAC chairman, advised the ministry to improve the turnaround time on disciplinary cases hearings, saying prolonging such matters tortured culprits.
Mr Mmolotsi advised the ministry management to review and assess the projects and initiatives time and also to ensure they served their intended purposes and stay relevant.
He advised the ministry to guard against projects saturation in order to ensure their sustainability.
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