SEZA, Local Authorities Collaborate On Development

One of the objectives of the project includes boosting investment at a local level and fast-tracking the development of Botswana’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ). The collaborative effort, dubbed The Mayors Forum, was established in recognition of the vital role that local authorities play in infrastructure development; as they grant approvals for planning, building and occupation permit applications.

Local authorities also grant approvals for industrial licenses for manufacturing companies. SEZA chief executive officer (CEO) Lonely Mogara said the authority has begun the process of ring-fencing SEZs' reform through engagements with various government ministries adding that collaborating with local authorities will bring about the much-needed transformation in the areas where SEZs are located and ultimately within the national economy. “The Mayors Forum was birthed in an effort to identify and provide solutions to possible barriers inhibiting the doing-business environment,” Mogara said.