19 Nov 2024

In order to create jobs and increase the value of Botswana’s exports, government will prioritise the development of key industries that process raw materials into finished goods.

Delivering his maiden State-Of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) yesterday, President Advocate Duma Boko said investing in manufacturing and value-added processing was one vehicle that could bring about economic diversification and help create high-paying jobs, thereby moving the country beyond simply exporting raw materials.

To achieve that, Adv. Boko said, government would encourage industrial growth through investing in infrastructure and training to create a competitive manufacturing sector in Botswana, which would include focusing on industries where Botswana had significant potential to add value.

Further, he said incentives would be introduced for local manufacturers, particularly those that utilised locally-sourced raw materials.

“These will include tax breaks, subsidies and market access support to encourage businesses to establish production facilities in Botswana,” he said.

President Boko also said that export promotion would take centre stage, with the National Export Strategy guiding efforts to help local manufacturers reach international markets, thus further diversifying the economy and increasing Botswana’s foreign exchange earnings.

Through strategic partnerships and support for export-oriented businesses, the country will aggressively push for the Made-In-Botswana brand to make local products stand out from the rest, he said.

On technological advancement, Adv. Boko informed the nation that government was committed to working with local and global technology companies to rapidly prepare Botswana for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and drive meaningful transformation for the nation.

He said government had already engaged SpaceX and Starlink to accelerate efforts to extend affordable connectivity options to the entire country, explaining that with affordable, high speed internet access across Botswana, citizens would have greater access to remote work opportunities, innovative educational content and high-quality medical care, amongst the many possible benefits.

Such a move, he said, would lead to direct and indirect employment opportunities and a better quality of life for Batswana, regardless of where in the country they lived.

Adv. Boko said Starlink’s planned infrastructure investment in the country would help transform Botswana into a digital hub for the entire SADC region, leading to increased employment opportunities, and attracting further investment from global technology companies.

He said based on the commitment to enhance access to quality education, government would accelerate the implementation of the school connectivity projects through the village connectivity programme.

President Boko said it was planned that 100 rural schools would have been connected by end of the month, with 300 more to be connected in early 2025. Ends