Kenneth Matambo

"On the other hand, a Development Budget of P17.47 billion is proposed to finance on-going and new programmes and infrastructural projects being implemented throughout the country. However, the implementation of the development budget is likely to continue to be undermined by implementation capacity, which characterises both the public and private sectors."

"It is not because we do not want to do it, definitely we also want our people to live comfortably by earning a minimum wage or as some call it the living wage. Semantics do not matter. We cannot do it now at least because we have constraints. You cannot just announce it and say we will do it on day one."

"I have no problem with the President of South Africa doing this, in South Africa he can afford to mention these figures, because he has a private sector that works. Private sector there works, it does not wait for government tenders, that is not what they wait for, they produce in order to sell internationally."

"I urge the private sector to take responsibility for aligning their operations with our National Development goals so that together we move Botswana forward into the realisation of Vision 2036 and beyond."

"It is critical that by the end of the Plan period – NDP 11 –, all planned programmes are achieved in order to take the country forward. However, to achieve this will require adoption of measures to increase the country’s implementation capacity."

"It is my sincere hope that as more banks and branches open in the country, competition will increase and thereby reduce the relative costs of banking services."

"In terms of Section 13 of the Banking Act, administered by Bank of Botswana, a bank is required to maintain a minimum capital adequacy (solvency) ratio of at least 15%, calculated as unimpaired capital to total risk – weighted assets,”"

"With regard to employment creation, it is important to clarify that the principal role of the Government is not to create jobs directly, but to provide a conducive macroeconomic environment to facilitate the development of the private sector. The private sector, in turn, is expected to take advantage of such an environment to undertake investments, which would contribute to the growth of the economy and creation of sustainable employment opportunities."

"We do not have a problem with China at all."

"Promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth is vital for promoting long term economic development as well as addressing the demographic challenges that we are currently facing."

"Care needs to be taken not to overburden our future economic pathway with too much debt, which becomes the first call on future revenues."

"We have dealt with China before and we know what we are doing as a government."