- Promises to be detailed in his official response to SONA
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
President Duma Boko has failed to commit to the financial pledges outlined in the election manifesto of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the Leader of the Opposition, Dumelang Saleshando, has said.
The pledges include P4,000 per month as the minimum wage, P1,800 per month for old-age pensioners, and a P2,500 per month in allowances for tertiary students.
Speaking to journalists in extempore remarks outside Parliament after President Boko’s maiden State of the Nation Address yesterday (Tuesday) his brief review of President Boko’s maiden State of the Nation Address (SONA), Saleshando expressed disappointment over lack of concrete timelines for implementing these pledges.
Gone silent
“We expected the focus to be the manifesto pledges,” he said. “He pledged P1,800 for old-age pensioners by the end of this month. He has now gone silent about it.
“He pledged a minimum salary of P4,000. He has also pledged more than 400,000 jobs. How many will come this year? He has gone quiet on the pledges. The question is whether he is committed.”
Saleshando promised to be detailed when he responds officially as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament tomorrow (Thursday).
Difficult
Vice President Gaolathe Ndaba recently revealed that the country’s finances are in a dire state, saying it was going to be difficult for the new government to deliver on these pledges in the near term.
“The situation is worse than what we thought,” Ndaba said, adding that he and the President were considering salary cuts to lead by example.
But despite the grim outlook, the Vice President assured Batswana that the government is determined to deliver on its promises.
Solar energy solutions
“The situation is worse than we thought, but we have the people, the leadership, and the civil servants required to achieve the new Botswana we’ve envisioned,” he stated.
In his SONA, President Boko said his government would focus on reducing waste in areas like water bills, procurement and state-owned enterprises.
He said initiatives include implementing wastewater treatment, reviewing procurement pricing, and exploring solar energy solutions for government institutions.
Fiscal buffers
“Our country loses billions of pula to wastage due to poor management or negligence,” the President stated.
He also emphasised that they will be implementing a framework to ensure fiscal sustainability by balancing government spending with available resources and restoring fiscal buffers.