11/11/2017
SPEECH BY HON.NONOFO E. MOLEFHI, MINISTER OF
INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT THE CONSTRUCTION YOUTH PITSO (09 November 2017) [Full Text]
*Salutation*
1. Director of Ceremonies, I feel greatly honoured to be among you this morning for this very special occasion that no doubt advances not only the mandate of my Ministry by building capacity within the industry but also assists you as young entrepreneurs to sharpen your skills so that, you are better equipped to face the challenges of your profession.
The construction youth Pitso for this year is different from the past ones because in the past, we only conducted pitsos for directors of youth company’s registered with our Ministry and did not focus on independent ones.
For this year, we have broadened our scope to include individuals with vocational skills in construction industry and students from Vocational and Bridges who are studying construction related subjects, to prepare them for the future.
This event could not have come at a better time because of late; there have been calls by many in the industry that locals need to have a larger share of the economy, including participation in the construction industry.
2. As I am speaking to you today, I am very conscious and proud of the fact that you are all Batswana, who have a great interest in actively participating in the construction industry of your country. This is an indication that you are not only interested in having a stake in the economy of your country as mentioned earlier, but also that you are patriotic citizens driven more by passion to participate in the development of your country.
3. Director of Ceremonies, I have been informed that we have many young people who wish to participate in the construction industry, and many are actually doing so in a satisfactory manner. It has always been my wish to interact with you in an environment like this one, so that I can be able to encourage those doing well to continue doing so and those not doing so well to pick up their socks.
4. I would like to encourage those who are still lagging behind to learn from those who have graduated from infancy to a more stable position. I am pleased to say that reports which I receive regularly indicate that since my Ministry introduced the 15 % reservation policy for maintenance projects to youth individuals and companies in 2009, many of such projects have been delivered in time, on budget and to acceptable quality. Indeed there are a few that still need to be attended to.
5. Registration of individuals with vocational skills is done countrywide through DBES depots while companies register at MIH head office. I wish to also caution that this well-intended programme should not be taken lightly by some to just fill space. It must be a vocation to improve not only you, but the industry and country as a whole.
6. The theme for this youth construction Pitso is “CHANGING YOUTH MIND SET IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY” . Since 2009 after the inception of this programme my Ministry has over the past 7 years empowered youth owned construction companies and individuals through awarding of maintenance projects and other projects from the development sphere.
However, my ministry has encountered teething problems that are faced by these youth owned construction companies. Being;
• Poor planning schedules
• Lack of competent manpower
• Project Management
• Lack of financial resources and management
7. Director of Ceremonies, your involvement at this early age and your quest to learn is a positive development because as a Ministry, we have a history of companies run by some who have not done so well due to various circumstances. We have been grappling with problems of cost overruns, delayed completion of projects and poor quality works by some of the contractors. These problems remain a concern and a challenge for my Ministry and indeed the entire government. This has caused us to enforce some harsh contractual measures such as levying of penalties to deal with defaulters.
8. Director of Ceremonies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have to illustrate to you that my ministry does not tolerate underperformers and as such I would like to instil in you a high sense of professionalism and responsibility in your work. I want you to grow into responsible contractors who will at all times be mindful of the public expectations of you and not to fall in to the same trap as others before you.
9. Our aim as a Ministry and government in general is to build a professional, credible and responsible construction sector which can compete globally. In view of your desire to learn as demonstrated by your presence here today, I have no doubt in my mind that you can help us achieve our ambition. I encourage you to register all your professionals in the regulatory bodies that have been created for purposes of professionalizing the construction industry like the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), the Architects Registration Council (ARC) and the Quantity Surveyors Registration Council (QSRC). It is the right thing to do and it is the way to go.
10. We have partnered with leading construction stakeholders locally and globally to help with mentorship of these companies to ensure that they become highly competent construction companies for the benefit of the country and its economy. Some of these established contractors are here with us to share some of their success stories with yourselves.
11. Let me also acknowledge and thank some private sector companies who heeded our call to engage youth companies to undertake some works. Local Authorities have also taken part in the initiative and I also encourage others to participate in the development of our youth in the construction sector.
12. The total budget provision for this year’s (2017/18) maintenance projects is eighty-two hundred and sixty two Million, nine Hundred and twenty five Thousand, P**a (P262, 925 000.00), 15% of which is reserved for youth companies. This 15% is an amount of thirty nine Million and four hundred and thirty-eighty thousand, seven Hundred and Fifty p**a (P39,438,750.00). Remember, nothing stops youth companies from competing in the mainstream construction works.
13. Thirty - Three (33) youth contractors has benefited from the on-going Economic stimulus programme (ESP) so far country wide and this shows a positive growth to the Ministry’s mentorship programme which creates a conducive environment to ensure that your companies are becoming highly competent.
14. As a Ministry, we take this Pitso as our contribution towards your development to become contractors we want Botswana to have in the future as alluded to earlier. I trust that the facilitators here will help fill any gaps you may have, that could have been hindering you in your full development as contractors of note.
15. We have assembled experts in various fields of the industry like procurement, financial management, corruption prevention, tendering and contract administration. We trust that you will benefit a lot from their presentations.
16. In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, let me assure you that my Ministry will do all it can to take the construction industry of this country to the next level of development. This Pitso in Maun is intended to cater for youth contractors in the North West of the country. Previous years we have hosted the similar Pitso’s at Gaborone, Palapye, Francistown and we will continue to do the same in other parts of the country.
17. On that positive note, Director of Ceremonies, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honour and privilege to declare this Pitso officially opened.
I thank you.
P**a…. P**a… P**a… P**a…
