17 Jun 2024

In an effort to promote ease of doing business, Botswana and Namibia have reached an agreement to launch the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Mamuno border effective July 24.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting in Charleshill recently, Director - Tax Policy from Ministry of Finance, Ms Boitshoko Medupe, informed residents that the long awaited OSBP negotiations had finally been completed.

She said the negotiations started in 2013 and were completed in 2021 even though there were some pending institutional frameworks, which she confirmed had since been closed too therefore, awaiting the launch of the project.

Ms Medupe said the OSBP was a specialised border crossing point that aimed at streamlining and facilitating trade, movement of goods and people between two neighbouring countries.

She said it was designed to ease and coordinate border controls, procedures and services in a single point to reduce duplication and inefficiencies of a two points of entry. She implored residents to familiarise themselves with tax processes adding that through tax collection, government would be able to raise revenue to finance spending on developments across the country.

Ms Medupi, therefore, implored all eligible tax payers to reconsider their perceptions towards paying tax, advising that collected revenue would go a long way in providing for social development and welfare programmes.

Giving the project overview, Botswana Unified Services(BURS)General Manager - Shared Services, Mr Kenny Labane said the two neighbouring countries enjoyed remarkable record in bilateral relationships.

He said through bilateral relations, the two countries had made Mamuno border an entry point of ‘firsts’ through the commissioning of identity cards as legal travelling documents as well as the first border to operate on 24-hour basis.

Mr Labane said the OSBP facility would increase coordination and collaboration between the two countries’ border agencies.

He added that the idea of the OSBP was to strive to simplify and standardise border control procedures, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing transparency.

Mr Labane said the project was divided into two phases; phase one being the expansion and renovation of staff houses while phase two comprised renovation of old Mamuno facilities. So far 18 staff houses have been built and await electrification while 44 have been renovated.

He said porta cabins would be used as temporary OSBP office structures pending construction of a permanent block.

On other issues, he applauded Charleshill community for their cooperation in providing accommodation to the 16 employees and urged them to venture onto different business opportunities to support the upcoming developments at the border.

In his welcome remarks Kgosi Mbao Kahiko commended government for economic driven projects which he said would promote the status of the constituency.

In his closing remarks Charleshill District Council Chairperson, Mr Patrick Gaebuse, decried poor project delivery by some contractors and implored BURS officials to do close monitoring at all times, to ensure comprehensive processes of carrying out and completing projects on time and budget.

He pleaded with the officials to ensure that local contractors were given priority too, to demonstrate their expertise as well as imparting needed skills to the youth.

Mr Gaebuse further, implored the community to take advantage of business opportunities availed during the commencement of the operationalisation of the OSBP facility. Ends