PAKALITHA B. MOSISILI, MP PRIME MINISTER Our Vision 2020 Document presents a broad perspective framework of how Basotho, through their representatives would like to see their country by the year 2020. This represents a fundamental shift from the way we have approached development planning in the past. Starting from 1970, Lesotho based its development on Five Year Development Plans, Annual Plans and Budgets. In 1997 it changed to Three Year Rolling Plans. While these plans were useful in so far as they went, they were not long enough to see where the nation would be in fifteen or twenty years. Such a perspective plan is necessary because development of natural resources such as water, mining, forestry, etc, require more than a five year lead-time to realise full benefits. The second consideration was that the measurement of progress on poverty reduction and employment generation requires a perspective that is longer than three year plans. Finally the Vision provides a beacon towards which national energies and resources can be mobilised. It also facilitates ownership of the development agenda on a sustained basis. This document thus represents a major improvement over these inadequacies of the past. It is not only all encompassing and sufficiently long-term in nature, it is also a product of discussions with Basotho from all walks of life. Consultations were done at the village, community, district and central levels. Focus groups included political leaders, chiefs, Members of Parliament, district councils, youth groups, people with disabilities, public servants and students. The Steering Committee that compiled it was itself made up of representatives from all sectors of our society. In a nutshell, this document truly reflects the wishes and aspirations of Basotho. Most important of all, the nation came together in the dialogue of June 2004, and unanimously adopted this document as the framework within which all future national plans will be placed.