BITRI unveils solar lamps assembly plant
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
The lamps, which use sunlight rays, are expected to ease power demand while reducing supply costs. BITRI, which came to existence as a result of the dissolution of the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) and the Rural Industries Promotions Company (RIPCO), hosted a media briefing and a tour of Seding Solar Light facilities in Kanye last week to demonstrate how the street lamps are assembled.
According to BITRI, the street lamps will provide a solution to high consumption of electricity and high power bills as well as lighting up rural villages and settlements where the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has not reached.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...