15 Jun 2014

The issue of youth unemployment needs to be elevated to every sector and organ of government for it to be dealt with effectively. 

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Solomon Sekwakwa, said this when responding to a question from Member of Parliament, Mr Kentse Rammidi, at a recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing.

Mr Rammidi had asked Mr Sekwakwa to explain the social impact of the Ipelegeng and national service programmes. He also wanted to know why money spent on the two programmes could not be used to impart skills to the beneficiaries so that government would get value for money. 

He also suggested that money spent on the two programmes should rather be used to fund sustainable schemes that could re-tool the beneficiaries and semi-skill them, such as in the Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF). 

In response, Mr Sekwakwa said the Ipelegeng and national service programmes were stop gap measures meant to address the problem of youth unemployment in the interim.

“These programmes are not the answer to our problems, they are just stop gap measures that will resolve the immediate problems while we implement measures that will really drive the economy and generate more sustainable jobs,” he said.

He added that government will keep reviewing the Ipelegeng and national service programmes. He also resolved that government was putting more emphasis on information communications technology as it endeavours to empower young Batswana.

“There is need to ensure that training of young people is aligned with market needs in terms of skills requirements,” said Mr Sekwakwa. ENDS