By Kabelo Mollo
Our new government, through its finance minister Dr Matlanyane has delivered its maiden budget speech.
As former head of the central bank one expected her to have a firm grasp of granular issues plaguing the kingdom whether it be fiscal policy or financial irregularities. She seems to have tapped in to that knowledge and delivered a healthy, balanced budget speech. Her mid-term budget review signalled what was coming. A crack down on delinquents pulling the wool over the state’s eyes and a growth plan that would allow the private sector to lead. From my purview her speech struck all the right notes. Now we wait to see the implementation thereof.
The wave of euphoria has begun to seriously die down. Amid constant savingram leaks, senior civil servants making decisions then backtracking on them, the electorates confidence is starting to waiver just a little. Communication continues to be sketchy and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, where’s that 100 days’ review? Different ministers and their ministries continue to pop up with newsworthy items but none seem to be making a complete turn-around that might be the catalyst for the long awaited revolution.
That being said, it does feel like we’re in a better place than had the incumbents got back in. Those who oversaw the steady slide in to the abyss were likely not going to be the ones to arrest said slide, and were even less likely to turn it around. I used to tell my father, “there is no Messiah coming, we must resolve our own problems with the same resoluteness as we want them solved.”
Another positive development aside from the budget speech was the announcement of the “elders group” comprising of all the former Prime and deputy prime ministers. Tapping in to experience, and muscle memory is a great idea by the Prime Minister and I hope he’ll extend the ambit of this group beyond just the reform agenda. Having that institutional memory will surely go a long way in assisting a premier who is swimming in completely new waters. A few “tricks of the trade” are never a bad thing. I have also been encouraged by the posture the new executive has taken toward the reform process. More and more it sounds like we have folks who want to see reforms passed in their original state. The previous administration had neutered the bills so badly, they had become completely anemic. With any luck the DPM will be able to lead the August house to where Basotho said they wanted to go!
And So, back to the budget speech. I like the idea of e-government and IOT resource implementation. If we can digitize some of our processes it ought to help us in rooting out corruption and delivering services more efficiently. I’m a fan also of large scale investment in tourism. This country is the unsung hero of sub Saharan tourism and that’s been neglected for too long by too many executives. The Maletsunyane Tourism Centre desperately needs an accommodation pairing. I dearly hope the government has made provision for tier one spec lodgings. I hope they aren’t just paying lip service to the opportunity and will genuinely stimulate economic growth through the sector. My last big take away was the appreciation of the post graduate studies in catchment and other water related studies. Relevant qualifications that will give us a more employable youth out of university. That’s a sound, practical step by the executive.
Dr Matlanyane was absolutely right to opine that it’s governments responsibility to ensure the private sector can lead economic growth. I don’t think it was stated expressly but beneficiation ought to happen at increased scale so that small business might to scale up to medium sized enterprises and so on. Basotho need to get themselves involved in various value chains so we can change from being mere consumers to actual producers and even exporters for revenue. Remittance must slide down the table on the earnings profile, and industry must take its place.
We remain hopeful that the revolution will roar in to life and perhaps the budget speech was the beginning of that much anticipated element.
