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PRESS RELEASE

PRIVATISATION UNIT

2^nd Floor

Lesotho Bank Mortgage Division Bldg.

Private Bag A249

Maseru.100

Contact: Makalo Ntšasa

Tel: 22317902 Fax: 22317551

Email: mntsasa@privatisation.gov.ls

For immediate Release

Wednesday, 28^th January 2004 

THE PUBLIC AWARENESS POLICY OF THE PRIVATISATION UNIT 

1.      The Privatisation Unit has always had an ongoing policy of being transparent by availing information to as many sections of the public as possible. This was evidenced by the launch of the Privatisation Unit website in March 2003 which contains the Privatisation Programme and Policy Guidelines; the Privatisation Progress up to 2002; the Annual Reports; remarks made by key individuals from both the public and private sector during the various fora that were hosted by the Privatisation Unit over the years; and proceedings of the dialogues on the restructuring process in Lesotho. Anyone who logs to the website will attest to the volume of information that is contained therein. 

2.      Nevertheless the Privatisation Unit has often been accused of lacking transparency. It is unclear what public officials mean by lack of transparency in this context because Government officers are availed access to draft agreements before they go to Cabinet and have ready access to agreements after approval by Cabinet as part of their routine work; otherwise it would be impossible for them to implement the agreements if they did not know their context. 

3.      To implement the policy of transparency that has been adopted by the Privatisation Unit, the following measures have been taken: 

v     The Information Officer, whose role is to ensure that the public or organizations are furnished with the information requested and to explain the whole restructuring policy that has been adopted by the Government of Lesotho, has been in place since the establishment of the Unit in 1995. Many organization, particularly in the civil service, still do not see the importance of engaging an Information Officer/ Public Relations Officer who will liaise with the general public. 

v     The Privatisation Unit publishes the Annual Reports that detail our activities for the year and these are sent them to organizations within the private and government sectors including the educational institutions, both houses of Parliament, and the members of the Urban Boards, the Foreign Service and the media. The latest Annual Report on the implementation of the Lesotho Utilities Sector Reform Project will be available by the end of February 2004. 

v     From time to time brochures on Privatisation Developments are published for the general public. 

v     Presentation to various fora and educational institutions are delivered on request. Last year Workshops were held for Urban Board Members of all districts; students of St. James High School; students in the Department of Humanities at the National University of Lesotho and to teachers of Development Studies at the National Curriculum Centre. We are already making preparations to make presentations to high schools within the country. 

v     Articles and press releases are released regularly to the newspapers whenever major events take place relating to the restructuring of the economy. 

v     Talk shows were held with two radio stations last year and these afford the public to engage in debate and seek clarification on the restructuring progamme. 

v     Students who are interested in writing their dissertations on the topic of restructuring of state owned enterprises do visit our offices from time to time to obtain any useful information that would be relevant to their topic of study. 

v     Senior officials of the relevant Government ministries, parastatals and the private sector do get invited when presentations are made regarding restructuring of enterprises. But sadly, we have noticed in the past that the enthusiasm that one would expect, especially from Government senior officials is usually lacking. Their response is to send junior officers who hardly have the means to make meaningful contributions to the discussions. 

4. The Privatisation Unit is already making preparations to implement public awareness strategies for the year 2004 and invites interested organizations and educational institutions to invite the Unit to deliver presentations on developments that have taken place on the Restructuring of the Economy so far.

LEANO LA PONALETSO LA LEFAPHA LA PHETISETSO EA LIKHOEBO TSA ‘MUSO SECHABENG 

1)      Lefapha la Phetisetso ea Likhoebo tsa ‘Muso Sechabeng le bile le leano la ponaletso ho tloha sethathong ele ho fetisetsa litaba sechabeng, ‘me sesupo sa sena ke phatlalatso ea litaba ka mokhoa oa Website e ileng ea thakholoa khoeling ea Tlhakubele ngoahola. Phatlalatso ena ea Website e tšetse litaba tse kenyeletsang Moralo le Leano la Thekiso ea Likhoebo tsa ‘Muso; khatelo-pele malebana le phetisetso ea likhoebo tsa ‘Muso matsohong a ikemetseng; litlaleho tsa selemo le selemo tse amang mosebetsi oa  lefapha; lipuo tse entsoeng libokeng tse fapakaneng tse hlophiloeng ke Lefapha lilemong tse fetileng; esita le makumane a likhothaletso tsa liboka tse fetileng. ‘Me mang le mang ea ka balang leqephe lena o tla netefatsa botebo ba litaba tse fuperoeng ke leqephe lena. 

2)      Leha ho le joalo, Lefapha la Phetisetso ea Likhoebo tsa ‘Muso Sechabeng le lula le qosoa ka hore ha lena ponaletso. ‘Me sena se ea makatsa hobane bahlanka ba ‘Muso ba lula ba fuoa litumellano pele li il’o tekoa ka pele ho Lekhotla la Matona ebile li tla khutlela ho bona ha li qeta ho ananeloa ke bahlomphehi, ele hore bahlanka ba ‘Muso ba tle ba khone ho li kenya tšebetsong. ‘Me ‘nete e-ea sala hore ba hloka hore ba li utloisise pele ba ka li kenya tšebetsong. 

3)      Lefapha le se le nkile mehato e latelang ho kenya leano la ponaletso tšebetsong: 

v           Ofisiri ea Liphatlalatso, eo mosebetsi oa hae e leng ho netefatsa hore sechaba ka kakaretso se fumana litaba esita le ho hlalosa Leano la ‘Muso la Phetisetso ea Likhoebo tsa ‘Muso Sechabeng ho bohle, o qalile tšebetso ho tloha ha Lefapha le thehoa. Makala a mangata, haholo-holo a ‘Muso, ha a eso fumane bohlokoa ba ho ba le Ofisiri ea Liphatlalatso beo e tla ba liphala tse makala. 

v           Lefapha le hatisa Litlaleho tsa selemo le selemo ele ho li romela makaleng a fapaneng a ikemetseng le ea ‘Muso, a kenyeletsang litsi tsa thuto, Matlong a Mabeli a Paramente, makhotleng a ntlafatso, boemeling ba naha ea Lesotho ka lefatše bophara esita le liea-le-moeeng le maselinyaneng. Tlaleho ea morao-rao ea Morero oa Tlhopho-Bocha oa Litšebeletso tsa Motlakase e tla tsoa mafelong a khoeli ea Hlakola. 

v     Maselinyane a buang ka ntšetso-pele malebana le phetisetso ea likhoebo tsa ‘Muso sechabeng a ea hatisoa ‘me a fetele sechabeng. 

v     Litlhaloso malebana le Leano lena la ‘Muso li lula li etsetsoa sechaba. Selemong se fetileng litlhaloso li etselitsoe Makhotla a Ntlafatso literekeng tsohle tsa naha; baithuti ba Sekolo se Seholo sa St. James;  baithuti ba Sekolo se Seholo sa Sechaba;  esitana le matichere a Lithuto tsa Ntšetso-pele ea Moruo. Lihlophiso li se li ntse li tsoela pele ho etsetsa baithuting ba likolo tse kholo lithlaloso sena. 

v     Liphatlalatso li fetisetsoa maselinyaneng le li-ea-le-moeeng nako le nako ha hona le litaba tsa bohlokoa ele hore sechaba se lule se le sehlohlolong sa litaba. 

v     Mananeo a ile a  etsoa  li-ea-le-moeeng tse peli tsa sechaba  ele ho fa sechaba monyetla oa ho botsa lipotso le ho hlahisa maikutlo a sona ka Leano. 

v     Baithuti ba ngolang liphuputso tsa bona malebana le Leano la Tlhopho-bocha ea Moruo  ba etela Lefapha nako le nako ho fumana lingoliloeng tse ka ba thusang ho phetha mosebetsi oa sekolo. 

v     Bahlanka ba ‘Muso le bohle ba amehang ba ea mengoa nako le nako ha ho ena le litlhaloso malebana le liphetoho tse tla tlisoa le tlhopho-bocha moruong. Ka bomalimabe, ho shebahala eka thahasello ha e-eo ka lehlakoreng la bahlanka ba ‘Muso ha ese feela ho romella  liofisiri tseo hangata li sa kang tsa hlahlelloa ka nepo. 

4)      Lefapha la Phetisetso ea Likhoebo tsa ‘Muso Sechabeng le se ntse le hlophisa  letšolo la liphatlalatso la selemo sa 2004 ‘me le kopa litsi tsa thuto kapa makala a thahasellang ho hlalosetsoa ka Leano la Phetiseto ea Likhoebo tsa ‘Muso Sechabng, ho ngola limemo ele hore Lefapha le tle le ba etele.