Bereng Mpaki
INCOMING Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro’s government has a massive task of restoring good governance and the rule of law to facilitate the resuscitation of the economy, Lesotho Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) president, Ntaote Seboka, has said.
Dr Majoro will lead the new coalition government, deputised by Democratic Congress (DC) leader Mathibeli Mokhothu after the major two parties and eight other smaller ones reached a pact to oust former premier Thomas Thabane.
Mr Thabane was forced to resign on Tuesday while Dr Majoro, the Finance minister in the previous government, was sworn in yesterday.
Mr Seboka told the Lesotho Times this week the new government must work hard to right the wrongs of the past regime where lawlessness and poor governance were the order of the day.
He said rampant corruption under the watch of the past government had led to poor economic development as indicated by the country’s high unemployment.
“A lot is expected from the incoming government given how poorly the past regime performed,” Mr Seboka said.
“We hope that the new government will improve the country’s image regionally and internationally. We are expecting restoration of good governance and rule of law because many sectors of the government were failing due to political polarisation.”
He said the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) must decisively act to root out rampant corruption in the public sector.
Mr Seboka also said the new cabinet must be trimmed while appointments must be made on merit to ensure proper handling of the public purse.
“We expect to see a small cabinet and reduction of ministries. We must at all costs reduce the spending of public finances on an unnecessarily bloated cabinet.”
He said the new government must also speedily settle what it owed service providers.
“We want to see this country creating jobs through a proper industrialisation policy that includes processing, packaging and value adding. That is how you create and grow an economy… through value addition”
The government must also enforce laws that preserve certain sectors, among them the retail sector, for local players.
Mr Seboka expects the government to ensure that local businesses participate meaningfully in infrastructure development.
He also wants the government to focus on building local capacity in the mining sector and ensure that diamonds are processed locally before export.
