Plans to establish logistics hub underway
Pauline Dikuelo | Tuesday November 24, 2015 14:51
Speaking yesterday at a seminar to host business delegation from Russia, BITC Chief Operations Officer (COO), Meshack Tshekedi said they have reserved two plots near the international airport to build the hub.
“We want other cargo planes to come to Botswana to maintain and repair their aircrafts here as it will economically benefit the country,” he said. Tshekedi also noted that they are still in talks with a number of cargo aviations to benchmark on the issue at hand.
According to the COO, Botswana is a preferred destination when it comes to investing in transport and logistics noting there is an opportunity in the Trans Kalahari Railway (TKR) line, which is still in the pipeline.
“Botswana is a preferred route into the African market regarding that South Africa is always congested. There are opportunities to either use the TKR or the other route which goes through Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he added. In addition, the Coordinator of Coal Development Unit, Obakeng Moumakwa assured the delegation that the TKR will soon commence operation noting that in two weeks time ministers and officials of both the Namibian and Botswana countries will meet to map the way forward.
“The meeting will mainly focus on the authorisation of what the official must do as well as the authorisation of the legislative review which will mostly touch on what the law has to provide to TKR,” he said. Moumakwa noted this will give officials the authority to start talking to everyone who is involved in the development of the TKR especially in Namibia as the rail passes through farms.
For his part, the ambassador of Russia in Botswana, Victor Sibilev said Russia and Botswana can help each other in setting up mutually beneficial business partnerships.
“We deem it important to focus on ways to strengthen cooperation in the area of trade and economy between the two countries as both countries are open to the outside world and consistently follow the path of integration,” he noted.
The ambassador added there is a potential for Botswana to invest in Russia noting that the volume of imports from Botswana to Russia is small.
He said the scarce presence of the Russian investors in the country could probably be explained by factors such as shortage of information, lack of convenient transportation and established patterns between the two countries.
The forum was spurred by the agreement reached at the political consultations between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, and the deputy foreign minister and presidential envoy for Africa and Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, in March this year.