20 Nov 2024

President Advocate Duma Boko’s State-of- the-Nation Address has been viewed as forward looking and transformational.

In an interview post the address in Gaborone on Tuesday, Business Botswana - Head of Policy and Research, Mr Mpaphi Tsholofelo, said the speech recognised the role of the private sector at the centre of the economy.

“We are also comforted that the speech is aware of the environment in which the business community participates in,” he said.

He said the private sector was ready through its private sector development strategy, private sector development programme and consultative structures such as the national business conference, which had helped the private sector to achieve a lot.

Also, he said they were comforted that the President acknowledged the unnecessary and burdensome regulations that needed to be addressed to facilitate the private sector.

Mr Tsholofelo said President Boko indicated how the private sector should be involved especially in infrastructure development, including roads.

He said the private sector had for a very long time complained about issues of service delivery and service bottlenecks, adding that they were comforted that the President indicated that some work would be dome to address those.

“We are very much excited about the transformative journey. Where we were in the past is not something that we want to dwell on,” he said, adding that for a long time government talked about a private sector-led economy but not much had been done.

He said President Boko had also indicated that there would be deliberate support to the private sector, especially those rallying having input in local activities.

Also, he said the President identified new growth paths for the economy and affirmed Business Botswana’s commitment to working with government.

 In the SONA, the President indicated reforms in the public sector intuitions, medium-term fiscal framework, review of state-owned enterprises and reporting at the end of the first 100 days, which he said would be used to measure the government performance.

Also, he mentioned the national health insurance system, universal health coverage plan, national health digitalisation system, which provide an opportunity to track their implementation.

Mr Tsholofelo therefore viewed the above as areas that could enable the private sector to thrive.

He said if the country was to have an export-led economy, it must leverage on what it had, adding that government procurement could be used to support the private sector growth.

For his part, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) chief executive officer, Mr Kelotsositse Olebile, said the private sector should be excited that stimulating the economy could be done through them.

However, he said for such to happen all the stakeholders should make it work, adding that the President would not make it alone.

Mr Olebile also said to entice investors, there should be considerations to elevate the BITC to a higher level where it would be able to offer incentives to investors such as creating an enabling environment for them.

He stated that overregulation were some of the bottlenecks that needed to be reduced.

A social commentator, Mr Jafta Radibe, said the speech was heartwarming and was hopeful for the future of the country and the economy.

However, Mr Radibe said President did not mention the review of the Constitution, which he said should be given priority. Ends