Gaborone South constituency has 1,966 people who have applied for enrollment in the Poverty Eradication Programme. The constituents are waiting for assessment in the constituency.
“Subsequently, those who quality will be assisted. Currently there are 139 beneficiaries who have received packages,” said the Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mokgweesi Masisi.
“Parliament should however note that each constituency is allocated P2m per financial year. For reasons only known to Gaborone City Council, the cost for the 139 projects was P7 090 000.00. Which means we have exceeded a three year budget allocation for the constituency for 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15,” he added on Monday.
The roll out of the programme is not satisfactory. However efforts are being made to fast track the assessment process and roll out.
“Efforts have been made to accelerate the assessment and rollout of the programme. On the 6th January 2014, a poverty eradication project officer was engaged to enhance staffing at Gaborone City Council and to fast track implementation of the programme,” Masisi further said.
He was answering a question from the area Member of Parliament, Kagiso Molatlhegi, whose constituents are low-income, high-poverty level earners.
