BEDIA/IFSC merger gathers momentum

MBONGENI MGUNI
Staff Writer | Thursday April 29, 2010 00:00

This was revealed on Monday by BEDIA Chief Executive Officer, Jacob Nkate during a Press briefing on the parastatal's 2009 operational review.

Nkate said the process to merge the two parastatals had already begun.

'A task team was established in March to manage the implementation and change process which is expected to be done within 2010. It includes representatives of BEDIA, IFSC, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatisation Agency.

'This team receives reports from the working committee and makes recommendations on the way forward,' he said.Nkate said there were already 'many ideas on the table,' and the various members of the task team 'seem to be gravitating towards a certain direction.'

'We are happy with the progress we are making.

However, naturally we cannot divulge details of this process as it would pre-empt the work that is being done,' said Nkate.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) is overseeing and coordinating the process and will house the merged BEDIA/IFSC entity.

Meanwhile, BEDIA has secured advertising slots to promote Botswana during the World Cup on DSTV.

The adverts, to be flighted during World Cup matches on DSTV, will be part of the Authority's investment promotion mandate.'We have been able to secure some slots during the World Cup on DSTV where we will be advertising.

We are talking with various investors in South Africa and we have appointed an agency to help us with positioning for the World Cup.

'That agency has been here to talk to us and our people at investment promotion have also travelled to South Africa to see what is going on,' said Nkate.

He revealed that BEDIA would conduct several pre-and post-World Cup investment promotion activities to leverage on the event's popularity and excitement.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Johannesburg, South Africa.