Ntsoaki Motaung
In his budgetary estimates statement delivered before Parliament last month, Finance Minister, Thabo Sofonea inter alia indicated that for the current 2021/ 2022 financial year, government will embark on the rehabilitation of Moshoeshoe I Airport to give it an international feel.
“Government will vigorously rehabilitate Moshoeshoe I International Airport with the objective of meeting International Civil Aviation Organisation standards. To guard against fire outbreak the Government intends to procure a Fire Truck for provision of reliable cover service to retain international standard of service,†he said.
The Director of Moshoeshoe I Airport Letsoaka Sekonyela, told this publication that his ministry as a whole had been allocated M15.3 million, which he labed too little to even attempt the airport rehabilitation or upgrade project alone.
“M15.3 million would not even be enough for the rehabilitation of the Moshoeshoe I Airport. For rehabilitation of the whole airport we are talking Billions not Millions. As for the budget to upgrade the airport, we will only know what has been targeted at a later stage when Finance has prepared the budget that will clearly state how much is allocated for which project,†he said.
Sekonyela indicated that, the budget for the Airport will determine which parts of the airport will be rehabilitated looking for where there is a huge need for that.
Meanwhile, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Tlhopheho Sefali refused to divulge details preferring rather to say that public finance budgetary issues are a critical issue than cannot go around being discussed in the media. “Budget is a very sensitive and critical issue, we do just give its details to media personnel, it is unethical to do that,†he said.
