Mohloai Mpesi
The Minister of Development Planning Selibe Mochoboroane has vowed to bring developments in the country after taking over the baton of Chairmanship of Africa Group 1 Constituency earlier this week.
Mochoboroane took over the reign of the Constituency from Kenyan Ambassador Ukur Yatani Kanacho and will hold fort for the period spanning 2020-2022.
When accepting the baton on Monday, he indicated the spirit to tackle development challenges during his tenure.
“Thank you our outgoing chair, honourable governors, alternate governors and participants. It is with great pleasure that the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho accepts the opportunity to chair the constituency panel for the year 2020-2022.
“It is my hope that we will continue to work together as colleagues to tackle our development challenges and uphold our constituency as we have discussed today. I look forward to working closely with you for the next two years,” he said.
He told Newsday this week that the appointment would accrue economic development benefits for the country.
“The benefits of being Chairperson of the Africa Group 1 Constituency are very lucrative as inter alia they include being able to lobby other countries to take note of and pay attention to our development needs and help solve them. Mine is to chair the constituency meetings every time we sit, and it means I can channel discussions to the favour of our country. I look forward to representing our great Kingdom well during my tenure,” he said.
He went on to indicate that the World Bank helps its member states with project funds including the current covid-19 crisis where member states are assisted with budget.
“It helps with funds for such projects as those dealing with malnutrition, water, bridge constructions and also supports Ministry of Transport with car registration systems.
“World Bank helps the countries considered as small states, especially those with a minimum number of 1.5million,” he said adding that Lesotho should be considered as one due to different challenges it faces.
“We have a population of 2million but we qualify to be classified amongst in the bracket of small states because we have features of small states like challenges such as severe draught, starvation, weather or climate change as we encounter harsh weathers like snow. That’s why we qualify for the funds or helps from the World Bank,” he said.
The next statutory meeting of the constituency will take place during the IMF Group Spring meeting in April 2021.