The MP for Tlokweng has emphasised the importance of simplifying the budget in order to encourage local engagement
GAZETTE REPORTER
The CEO of the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA), Lonely Mogara, will be a key panelist at the inaugural Tlokweng budget review session budget at the Oasis Motel tomorrow (Thursday).
Themed “Demystifying and Cascading the National Budget for BaTlokwa,” the event aims to provide stakeholders with a platform to dissect and interpret the 2025/26 National Budget in an accessible and actionable manner.
The session was initially scheduled for 20 February but was postponed due to the floods that ravaged much of Botswana and overran parts of Tlokweng last week.
Opportunities
According to a statement from the Tlokweng Parliamentary Office, the session will bring together key figures from the constituency in a dynamic forum designed to foster dialogue and sharing of ideas on economic opportunities embedded in the national budget.
The MP for Tlokweng, Phenyo Segokgo, has emphasised the importance of simplifying the budget to encourage local engagement.
“The planning committee has invited industry captains to break down the budget in an easily digestible way so that BaTlokwa can understand it,” he said in the statement.
Renewal and restoration
Segokgo linked the initiative to President Gideon Duma Boko’s broader vision for national transformation. “The President, in his maiden State of the Nation Address, declared that Botswana is embarking on a journey of renewal and restoration,” he said.
“As a responsible MP, I heeded his clarion call and sought to restore trust and accountability with my constituents. We want BaTlokwa to understand the budget, own it, and explore opportunities through which they can revitalise the economy by empowering themselves.”
The session has been widely praised as a step towards greater transparency, inclusivity and citizen ownership of the national budget.
Private sector-led export growth
Mogara is expected to present on the agency’s role in fostering private sector-led export growth and infrastructure development within Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Tlokweng is adjacent to the Fairgrounds FinTech SEZ, which offers investment opportunities in business process outsourcing, investment fund management, international banking and insurance products.
Major institutions housed within the Fairgrounds SEZ include the Botswana Stock Exchange, Botswana Development Corporation, Botswana Accountancy College, Stanbic Bank, and Access Bank.
Youth-led organisation
The Minister of International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale, will deliver the keynote address. Kgosi Puso Gaborone of Tlokweng, University of Botswana economist Professor Happy Siphambe, and the founder of Boitekanelo College Tiro Mampane are among other speakers.
The event is organised by Market Players, a youth-led nonprofit organisation that has worked with international entities like the American Embassy, German Development Cooperation, and the United Nations Development Programme.