SEZA Projects Prioritise Local Companies
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday February 3, 2020 15:45
When addressing the media recently, SEZA officials noted that they consider citizen-owned companies when putting out a tender unless it is the type of environment where citizens do not have the skills.
The Authority is currently developing the Airport City. For the fist phase, a citizen-owned company Bothakga Burrow has been awarded a tender to develop a 2km road with internal junctions and an additional live junction at airport road.
Ground breaking is expected on March 31, 2020 and the project will take up to nine months, which will be towards the end of September when it is fully delivered. SEZA director investor facilitation manager, Neo Mahube recently told the media that before licensing the investors, they weigh several factors, which include the investment level, business linkages, company due diligence and even legally bind them.
“We want local companies to be part of this development as possible as we can. We are interested in companies that will employ locals, empower small businesses in the process. Sustainability is key as we even do background checks on these companies to ensure that they can deliver what they promise,” Mahube said.
“Before we license investors they need to show us how they are going to employ Batswana, how they are going to work with local businesses, so we prioritize Batswana in all of this.”
In addition, she noted that not every company will be given incentives as they have come up with sector-based incentives in which some will get incentives while others would not.
Currently, SEZA is doing master plans for other economic zones including Pandamatenga, Palapye, Lobatse, Francistown, Selebi-Phikwe and Fairgrounds, which are expected to be complete in August this year.
The master layout is a detailed plan of action; it serves as a blueprint for the future expansion of any organisation and must be directly tied to the core business goals and planning.
It covers business case, technical soil investigations, land use plan as well as strategic environmental assessment.
SEZA has also floated expression of interest for four lots in the SEZA where “we want people to come and develop around 400 hectares of land and bring their own money or can venture into a Private Public Partnership (PPP) model with them as currently the development is heavily reliant on government to financially assist”.