Francistown a city of choice - PHK
| Tuesday August 26, 2014 13:12
Hard work, vision and ambition. His Worship the Mayor, Mr Kgalajwe and I have had meetings about the concept and possible conceptualisations about this Forum.
This is how I characterise the inaugural Francistown Investment Forum under the theme, quote: “City of Francistown: An investment Centre of choice by 2022 - A Step forward to your Investment” unquote. In the collective of both the theme and the purpose, the word “investment” is used three times. There is a serious message in that message.
The main objective of this Forum is to deliberate on pertinent issues that will position Francistown as a city of choice for investors within and beyond our borders; this is in line with the Francistown 2022 vision of transforming the city into an investment centre of note.
It is therefore my hope that this Forum will deliberate on issues of sustainable community development as a key focus area for the 2022 vision.
I have had occasion to browse through an impressive menu of speakers and scholars in the programme outline of development issues from Day 1 to Day 3.
I miss a window or forum of opportunity for input by associations of local farmers, SPEDU, local businesses, employer associations, the Unions, the informal sector. Granted that three days is too short a time to accommodate everyone. It has to be our resolve, going forward, to be as inclusive as possible to enhance the success of the Forum endeavour.
Initiatives have been put in place by Government to propel our country towards economic success. Such initiatives include the Special Economic Zones under the Ministry of Trade and Industry which, among others, aim at minimising red tape and offer investors a comprehensive and enabling environment to do business; expedite infrastructural developments, catalyse technology transfer and skills upgrade in Botswana; increase and diversify exports, grow the economy and ultimately by extension, create employment.
In this regard, Francistown has been designated a Mining Supplies and Logistic Special Economic Zone with Tuli Block as Horticultural Special Economic Zone.
On the other hand, the Rural Development Council, which I chair, supports and promotes sustainable utilisation and protection of natural resources and indigenous knowledge systems as one of its key focus areas. Council is of the view that we need to actively explore economic opportunities through optimal utilisation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS).
The RDC recognises that different zones across the country are endowed with plants which have, over generations, been used for food, medicine and decorations.
Communities have over the years used art, patterns, songs, poems, dance and other invaluable knowledge for entertainment and as a way of life, and this region is endowed with such resources, which I hope this Forum and other Fora throughout this land will harness.
Various Fora and zones in the country will and should be linked to create a wholesome economic whole.
The City of Francistown is strategically positioned to be a gateway to many unearthed economic possibilities in the northern part of Botswana, all the way to the Chobe area, the Okavango, the Makgadikgadi, the eastern part of the country where we have some of the biggest dams with great tourism potential and beyond.
The three dams recently completed have a total capacity of 540 million cubic metres of water at a total cost of P5 billion. Francistown is at the intersection of the main routes to Zimbabwe and Zambia and can therefore play a pivotal role in driving investor growth and providing linkages with clientele in the SADC region.
Government remains fully committed to provide all the necessary support to ensure that this vision becomes reality.
The government, through various relevant Ministries, will cooperate with the Francistown leadership and the business community to enhance the smooth take off of this project to nurture its sustainability. This life changing journey can only subsist on tender sustenance.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is implementing the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) which emphasises export-led growth, while at the same time developing productive capacity of new and existing enterprises for both domestic and external markets.
This is expected to impact on industrialisation and diversification of the economy, thus contributes to employment creation, wealth creation and poverty eradication.
We owe it to Batswana and the international community, particularly the investment industry, to reiterate that setting up entities in Francistown and investing in growing those that already exist here, is a critical next step for all who aspire to experience drastic and long term business growth.
Let me also urge that deliberations should focus on developing ways of ensuring that the businesses aspire to produce good quality goods and services to withstand competition in the export market.
Government has a huge import bill which amounted to over P20 billion in 2010, of which 65% was for consumer goods.
Ostensibly, there are various investment opportunities to be explored. Although Botswana has a small population, it is the second largest consumer in the region.
Opportunities abound. Over 70% of Botswana’s mining activity takes place in the northern region of Botswana, with Francistown as the regional administrative and commercial centre. The mining activities include gold, copper, nickel, diamonds, soda ash, coal and iron.
There are prospects for uranium whose bleaching material is potentially the sulphuric acid plant in the prospective menu of BCL Polaris II in Selebi-Phikwe. Botswana is the largest contributor to the international diamond market.
We yearn to see other mining operations feature as some of the best, if not the best in the world. Through the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources and the Botswana Chamber of Mines for example, we continue to harness existing opportunities to facilitate achievement of this goal.
We therefore need investors to be part of the journey for collaborative and collective mutual benefit. In this regard, linkages are critical e.g. Tati Nickel operatives are rendered virtually unviable, among others, by the long route via Serule to Selebi-Phikwe instead of a shorter route through Matsiloje, Matobi, Robelela and Mmadinare.
A possible road from Robelela to Bobonong would link Francistown with Mashatu and Shalimpo tourism hubs. During their recent site visit to the SPEDU region, the Botswana Economic Advisory Council appreciated great potential now that dams will open avenues.
Francistown is a key player in Botswana’s agricultural industry, being the heart of a region that is one of the country’s largest contributor to pastoral agriculture, which contributes significantly to Botswana’s GDP. Its strategic geographical location means it can unlock access to about 200million potential customers annually.
Botswana, like all other countries in the world, faces a serious unemployment challenge. Government continues to initiate programmes aimed at job creation.Job creation, can, should and will be enhanced by a favourable investment climate.
Botswana has been ranked as the world’s 2nd most attractive location for medium to long term investment by the 2013 Baseline Profitability Index in a survey of 102 countries.
Visions like this one, of making Francistown an investor hub are thought provoking and stimulating; for they provide an opportunity for more employment creation and thus community transformation.
Choosing to invest in Francistown will go a long way in assisting Botswana reach the target of full employment through formal or informal sectors of the economy.
In this regard, it is critically important that opportunities and a favourable climate be deliberately created to enhance the INFORMAL SECTOR in many ways; beginning with appropriate spaces and facilities.
Investment in Botswana, through Francistown, will be answering the national Vision 2016 pillar of creating a prosperous, productive and innovative nation.
Through this pillar, we aspire to have much higher international business rankings, fostering a good investment climate.
Investing in Francistown makes business sense and the whole country would obviously benefit. Francistown is ready to make the most of your investments.
Your time to act is now! Government acknowledges that in order to fully embrace businesses that set-up in Botswana, we must create a fully conducive environment for them to start-up in the first place.
In this connection, government has established a Cabinet Sub-Committee on Doing Business and Global Competitiveness which, among others, oversees implementation of the Point Based System to attract and retain skilled expatriates while ensuring local skills transfer.
We recognise that it is essential for investors to be assured of cost-effective investor environments, efficient logistics systems that will allow for smooth operation, reasonably quick financial turn-around times, reduced bureaucratic procedures, among others.
There are institutional arrangements that cater for Doing Business and Global Competitiveness, including Cabinet level.
Before I conclude, it’s important to remember that thought processes such as this Forum must find concrete form into the National Development Plan thumb nail sketches for facilitative infrastructure like road and dam tourism.