Madam Speaker, as one of the national priorities, sustainable use of national resources is part of a broader principle of sustainable development, which has been the hallmark of this country’s development strategy. To achieve sustainable development, which entails expanding the economic base without sacrificing the environment, the country has been focusing on two broad areas of environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources. A number of initiatives in these areas were undertaken during NDP 10 and will continue going forward. A notable initiative is the Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystems Services (WAVES) programme whose main objective is to take stock of available natural resources and provide economic indicators for their use or depletion.
Madam Speaker, the proposed Development Budget for the 2017/2018 financial year is P16.52 billion. The largest share of the budget is proposed for allocation to the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy.
Security at P2.94 billion or 17.8 percent. This is in recognition that, reliable and efficient sources of energy are a prerequisite for achieving NDP 11 priority area of Development of Diversified Sources of Economic Growth. The major projects under this Ministry comprise the; North West Transmission grid, Morupule A Power Plant Rehabilitation, and construction of Rakola substation. Furthermore, it is proposed that the Botswana Power Corporation be allocated an amount of P1.46 billion to cover operational costs