Reviewing the revised CEDA guidelines
Friday, August 28, 2020
Grand reveal: The revised guidelines were launched recently PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
The guidelines were a revision of guidelines that were launched and approved in 2008. Since then, the Botswana economy has changed drastically necessitating a revision of the guidelines to ensure they are still relevant to the market and clients.
The guidelines have taken an even bigger sense of importance in the past year. As they were being developed, we have since seen the calls for Economic Transformation taking centre stage in national discourse. The new guidelines therefore, will be very central and relevant for pushing national priorities like Citizen Economic Empowerment, import substitution and most recently the need to reduce the country’s dependence on its neighbours for trade. Contrary to popular belief COVID-19 was not the reason the guidelines were reviewed, but it has thrust them squarely in the limelight and made them more important going forward with the Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan. So, what are the main changes to the guidelines?
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...