26 Feb 2015

Government uses over P1 billion annually to procure food for people in hospitals, schools, prisons and other government institutions, says Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi.

 “Only 10 per cent of the P1 billion is produced locally which leaves P900 million worth of food being imported,”  said the Vice President during his tour of Selebi Phikwe Senior Secondary School, National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC), an agro processing plant as well as a steel plant construction site lon February 26. 

“This is an opportunity for Batswana to engage in food production and take a share from the P900 million that is used to import food,” he said.  Vice President Masisi urged more Batswana to engage in commercial agriculture and provide food for the country.

He also encouraged Batswana to take advantage of the agro processing plant and produce vegetables that could be processed at the plant to produce bottled and canned food such as tomato sauce, archer and pickles among other foods.

 Vice President Masisi said projects under the SPEDU regional development strategy such as the horticulture processing and steel manufacturing plants would rekindle the economy of the copper mining town and the region at large.

Vice President Masisi was accompanied by the Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Sadique Kebonang, the mayor of Selebi Phikwe, Mr Amogelang Mojuta and other senior government officials.

Mr Masisi said the plants, which were created in collaboration with various stakeholders such as BCL Mine, would create employment for many Batswana especially the youth. He also noted that the projects would diversify the economy of town and play a major role in the economy of the region and country as a whole.

“The projects are in line with the government’s flagship programme of diversifying the economy, creating employment for Batswana, more especially the youth,” said Mr Masisi.  He applauded SPEDU for the steel and agro processing plants, adding that they fall within the purview of what the unit was setup to do. 

“I wish to encourage and commend you for what you have done so far, and also call on Batswana to support your efforts,” he said.  Vice President Masisi said the government was committed to ensure that Selebi Phikwe and its surrounding areas survive way beyond the town. 

Mr Masisi also spoke on the issue of education, noting that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development was in the process of revamping the education system. He said one the things the ministry wiould do was to introduce vocational education at Form Three so that students could be introduced to practical subjects that were needed by the economy at an early stage. 

He also said that the government was in the process of solving the accommodation issue faced by teachers, adding that more teachers’ quarters have been planned to be constructed while other houses would be bought for teachers and other civil servants.

He said the junior secondary schools to be built in Maun and Francistown would have more teachers’ quarters. 

Meanwhile, Vice President Masisi said civil servants salaries were still under negotiations. He noted that the government utilises P17 to P18 billion on salaries while P12 billion has been budgeted for development.

 “If civil servants salaries were to be hiked at a high percentage, the country would become bankrupt,” he said. ends