State Theatre finally takes shape
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday April 2, 2023 06:00
The Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare told Parliament that am amount of P 2,922,000 was approved for engaging the services of the Transactional Advisor (TA) for the development of the State Theatre during the financial year 2022/2023.
The Transactional Advisor is required to produce comprehensive feasibility analysis for all components of the Project, including assessment of alternate methods of project delivery and operation. This must enable the government to determine: Full project cycle costs; Affordability limits risks and their costs and Optimal Value-for-Money (VfM) methods of procurement and delivery.
The Transaction Advisor also conducts market sounding of potential developers and/or operators of the Project, so as to inform the relevant sections of the feasibility study. Making a presentation during the ministry’s Committee of Supply in Parliament recently, Rakgare said an Invitation to Tender (ITT) was floated twice since the initial bidders did not meet the requirements.
However, following resubmission, one bidder was approved. “One bidder resubmitted and passed both the compliance and technical stage. The procurement process is currently at the financial stage, where negotiations are being initiated with the bidder to lower their price to manageable levels,” explained Rakgare. The development of the facility will be a welcome initiative for the creative industry after years of calling for it.
The State Theatre has been on government’s financial plans for a long time but has suffered deferment on several occasions as government altered its priorities.
However, the past deferments have had government’s view on the development of the arts and culture sector questioned by industry players. Meanwhile, Rakgare also revealed that the review of the Cinematography Act 1970, which started in 2020, is still on-going. “The Bill is expected to be brought before Parliament to be read for the second time during the July 2023 sitting,” Rakgare stated. The Bill will among other things set-up a National Film Commission, which could open up opportunities for local film producers and create employment opportunities.
On another issue, Rakgare said Botswana has been selected as a partner to receive support and technical assistance as part of the third phase of the UNESCO/SIDA project on "Reshaping Policies for Creativity and Artistic Freedom (2022-2025)”.
He explained that the project will enable Botswana together with other seven partner countries to receive support and technical assistance for the participatory elaboration of the country's next Quadrennial Periodic Report (QPR) on the implementation of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, due in 2024. Rakgare stated that Botswana will be assisted with technical expertise and funding amounting to $20,000.00.
The minister presented a budget proposal of P887,985, 660 under the Recurrent Budget and P44,441,032 under the Development Budget for the financial year 2023/2024.