The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Dithapelo Keorapetse, has reaffirmed Parliament’s critical role in promoting good governance, democratic accountability, and the prudent management of public resources during the opening of the three-day Workshop on Parliamentary Budgetary Engagement and Oversight of Public Enterprises.
Addressing parliamentarians, experts, development partners, and delegates from various countries, Hon. Keorapetse emphasised that national budgets are more than financial documents; they reflect a nation’s values, priorities, and aspirations. He stressed that Parliament has a constitutional responsibility to ensure that public funds are allocated, spent, and accounted for in a transparent and accountable manner.
The Speaker noted that Botswana is facing significant economic challenges, including increasing fiscal pressures and declining diamond revenues, making effective parliamentary oversight more important than ever. He highlighted Parliament’s constitutional mandate to represent the people, scrutinize government expenditure, and hold the Executive accountable in the public interest.
Hon. Keorapetse underscored that oversight extends beyond the approval of budgets and must cover the entire budget cycle, including implementation, auditing, and follow-up on audit findings. He further stressed the importance of strong oversight of State-Owned Enterprises to ensure efficiency, transparency, accountability, and quality service delivery.
He encouraged Members of Parliament to exercise independence, rely on evidence-based decision-making, and remain committed to serving the national interest. The Speaker also highlighted the value of learning from international experiences and strengthening collaboration among parliaments and oversight institutions.
Hon. Keorapetse expressed appreciation to the National Assembly of Botswana, International IDEA, Inter Pares, the European Union, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, partner parliaments, and experts for supporting the initiative. He described the workshop as an important investment in strengthening parliamentary democracy, accountability, and effective governance in Botswana.
