Speaking here last week when officiating during the 29th Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair, he noted Francistown was once the heartbeat of trade in Southern Africa, a city of dreams and discovery must now rise again. According to the Vice President, the city’s geographic position makes it a natural transport and logistics hub for the entire SADC region and for decades Francistown played this role after discovery of minerals in Southern Africa. As a result, he indicated that government’s plans are to roll out mega infrastructure projects on rail and fuel pipelines from the eastern and western ports of Southern Africa and to draw water from the Zambezi. The initiative will pivot around Francistown, transforming Botswana into a logistics hub and a manufacturing hub for base metals beneficiation, the minister added. These efforts are aligned with the Local Economic Development Strategy and the Informal Sector Strategy and the minister noted the initiatives are designed to ensure that growth is locally owned, people-centred and sustainable.
Meanwhile, Gaolathe has commended Business Botswana, under the leadership of Neo Nwako, for ensuring that this year’s trade fair was not merely ceremonial, but genuinely substantive. The 29th Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair was held under the theme ‘Driving economic diversification innovation for sustainable growth’. The Vice President affirmed that the government cannot do business alone as they need the private sector, not only to create jobs, but to lead the charge in innovation, investment, and market expansion. According to Gaolathe, the government’s public-private dialogue framework is being revitalised not for endless meetings, but to resolve real problems, remove red tape and unlock opportunity. “As we chart Botswana’s economic future, robust financial management remains the bedrock of sustainable growth. “A key pillar of this is strengthening our public procurement framework to ensure transparency, accountability, and value for money,” he said. Additionally, the minister said revitalised Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) is no longer a passive institution, but it is now empowered to enforce compliance, investigate irregularities, and ensure that every pula spent delivers measurable public value.
