P3 billion unutilised in Facilities Management sector

Facilities Management has been allocated P2 billion of the recurrent budget and P1 billion for the development budget, however every year; P3 billion goes back to the finance ministry as a result of non-utilisation.According to Minister of Transport and Public Works Eric Molale, this indicates that there is something wrong between his ministry and facilities managers in the country.“We need to work together to fix the built environment. There is an opportunity for local Facilities Management companies to work with government because we will no longer be giving work to foreign facility management companies,” Molale told a gathering of Facilities Managers this week during World Facilities Management Day commemorations.Molale said in different parts of the country, government offices and houses that are still intact structurally are abandoned, including in Gaborone, Maun, Tsabong and Mahalapye just along the main road.“This is where the P3 billion should be utilised,” Molale said.Government has for a long time relied on its own maintenance resources in carrying out services and works related to facilities management, including general repairs and maintenance. However, as a result of competing priorities, it has become evident that the adoption of Facilities Management practices is the way to go.Minister Molale revealed that the ministry is now working on a Facilities Management Framework that needs to be first interrogated by professionals within the industry before it becomes a working document. After that, theexpectation is that it will ultimately be taken to parliament.“So before the end of June this year, we should at least have a clean and final document,” he said.He revealed that within the ministry, they are building a team of engineers that will be expected to offer the expertise needed to effectively monitor and ensure delivery of quality infrastructure in projects.Efforts by government to put their ducks in a row regarding the management of facilities, could be a sign of commitment to facilitate solutions for the maintenance of government properties, many of which have turned into ghost houses and havens for criminal activities.A relatively new industry in Botswana, the integration of Facilities Management service delivery in the country was projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2017 to have a significant GDP output estimated at US$1 billion.This discipline, encompasses a range of disciplines and services to ensure the functionality, comfort, safety and efficiency of a built environment buildings and ground, infrastructure and real estate.There is also an increased realisation from government that in the whole cycle of infrastructure, the design and construction costs make up only 30 per cent of the total cost of ownership and that 70 per cent is constituted by maintenance and operation costs going forward.Botswana Facilities Management Association was set up with a view to promote and protect Facilities Management industry, as well as gather together players with a common goal to advance the local industry.Evans Moje acknowledged that their association has interacted with the Facilities Management Departments with the ministry of Transport and Public Works with a view to work closely together to promote professionalism.“Through this Association, we want to get government to have confidence in local Facilities Managers,” Moje said, adding that Facilities Managers that are not yet part of the Association should come forward to ensure that they benefit from the Association.According to Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) Technical Secretary for the Facilities Management Committee, Maduo Mosothwane, so far there are five standards that have been developed to guide delivery of services within the Facilities Management industry, with the latest developed in 2020. In addition, two more standards are expected to be developed this year.The concept of specialised Facilities Management is still evolving presenting an opportunity for growth in the sector that had global market revenue of US$1.152 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach US$945.11 billion in 2025. In Southern Africa GDP ranges between 0.2 percent and 0.7 percent, showing significant growth potential. Further afield in Europe, the region’s five largest economies and the potential market account for almost seven percent of the GDP.

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P3 billion unutilised in Facilities Management sector