A new era dawns for oil

Mmegi Editor | Wednesday October 15, 2014 16:16

Botswana Oil’s broad mandate includes securing the supply of the precious commodity, ensuring greater industry access to citizens and managing the strategic reserves. The weight on Botswana Oil’s shoulders is tremendous and historic in that for the first time a taxpayer-funded entity is carving a regulatory and participatory niche in the traditionally exclusive oil sector.

From independence, the oil sector has been the near-exclusive preserve of multinational oil corporations at marketing and distribution level, with citizen participation limited to ground-level ownership of mostly rural filling stations.

As the economy expanded, these multinationals reaped the benefits of long-term lucrative contracts in mining, manufacturing, transport, construction, agriculture, government and other sectors.

Citizen entrepreneurial participation beyond the filling station has been limited not only by capital and expertise, but also the cabal nature of exclusive industries where existing members often place a high premium on access. Botswana Oil provides an opportunity for Batswana to gain a foothold in the marketing and distribution of petroleum products and thus, begin enjoying spinoffs beyond simple employment by the multinationals.

In addition, with the global oil industry in constant change, downstream opportunities such as the one created by BP’s exit in 2010, could be tapped into either via foreign joint ventures or with Botswana Oil’s support.

We take this opportunity to also urge Botswana Oil and its experienced pioneer leadership to hasten efforts towards the diversification of our fuel sources and supply routes. In this regard, we acknowledge the efforts already made at engaging the Namibian and Mozambican state-owned oil companies and urge that these efforts be supported at governmental level, to reduce our dependence on Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng for nearly all our oil.

                                                                 Tone down the vitriol!

If  it is remembered for anything, the forthcoming elections will be unforgettable for containing the most acerbic, vitriol-laden and no-punches-pulled campaigns, where evidently everything, no matter how sensitive, is fair game for political currency.

Ever since the second quarter of the year when most parties crystallised their candidate lists and turned to the campaigns, each weekend has been filled with politicking of the most cringe-worthy nature. From all sides of the political divide, the rhetoric has been tuned up to the point where even the hawks in the parties must be increasingly uncomfortable. The eyes of the world are upon us and the election observers must already be wondering why we boast about being the personification of Botho.

                                                        Today’s thought

“Our flag is not just one of many political points of view. Rather, the flag is a symbol of our national unity.”

 

                                                        - Adrian Cronauer