PPRA, BURS, BR settle 20-year old land dispute
Otlarongwa Kgweetsi | Monday January 29, 2024 11:50
In its recently released annual report, the PPRA said negotiations between the three parastatals had been concluded, with the exchange of similar sized land. Land transfer processing and approvals for subdivision of the land were still underway as at November.
Documents previously uncovered by BusinessWeek reveal that in the mid-1980s, Botswana Railways allocated the plot to the Department of Customs and Excise (DCE) for the purpose of developing offices, a warehouse and a vehicle examination bay.
A section of BURS’ 2008 Annual Report on the matter reads: "DCE later obtained funding from the government to carry out the work. “The facilities were opened to the public in the early 1990s.
“Following the merger of the former Department of Taxes and DCE to establish BURS, the plot (together with improvements) were vested in BURS by the Government of Botswana in February, 2006. "BURS has recently been made to understand that in 2000, Botswana Railways Organisation registered the plot under its name without consulting DCE. “BURS strongly believes that it owns the plot and that there was an oversight in the registering of the title of the land under Botswana Railways. “BURS has written to Botswana Railways stating its position in respect of the plot."
According to the PPRA’s latest report, the resolution of the matter involved horse-trading of land among the parastatals.
“The land that was under negotiations measured up to 2,400 square metres and currently forms part of PPRA property,” the report reads.
“BR Properties (Pty) Ltd was given a portion of land to expand its railway line and had offered PPRA a portion of a similar sized portion of its land which is located next to PPRA. “PPRA has accepted the offer and as at the reporting date, the project of the land division between BR Properties (Pty) Ltd and PPRA and transfer of title deeds was still on-going.”
BR Properties is a wholly owned subsidiary of Botswana Railways that manages the parastatal’s fixed assets.
Meanwhile, the PPRA says its revenue collection dipped to P9.2 million in the year to March 2023, from about P12 million, due to lower numbers of contractor registrations. During the year under review, PPRA received 16,598 contractor registration applications compared to 19,612 in the prior year.
“(There was a) reduction in incoming applications due to slow take off of procurement activity after implementation of the PP Act,” directors said in the annual report.
The PPRA was established after the coming into effect of the new Public Procurement Act in April 2022.
Taking over from the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board, the PPRA has ushered in innovative procurement methods such as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), reverse auctions, competitive dialogue, and unsolicited bids.