During a recent business community dinner in Selebi-Phikwe, Lekwalo Mosienyane said councils are frustrating BOCCIM members over matters that have been agreed on at ministerial level. He explained that councils have defied instructions from ministries on simple things like payment of fees. He stated that the ministries of Trade and Industry; and Local Government have told councils that payment of annual fees should be done without waiting for health inspection reports. But BOCCIM members still face stiff bureaucratic resistance over such matters.
Mosienyane said that though the business community continues to suffer from arbitrary decisions linked to security vetting, there is currently more objectivity in the processing of work and residence permits through the Points Based System (PBS). He said BOCCIM as the voice of the private sector lobbies government to improve the ease of doing business. He said one of the burning issues that they continuously fight to promote is an open economy. He asserted that one of Botswana's key success factors for economic diversification is to keep the country open to foreign talent and tourism dollar.
