Trade Hub: Obliterating Africa�s trade bottlenecks

Kevin O'loughlin
Kevin O'loughlin

In the last five years of operation, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Southern Africa Trade Hub invested $50 million (P500 million) in eight Southern African countries. BusinessWeek Staff Writer PAULINE DIKUELO spoke to USAID/Southern Africa senior outreach and communications officer, Kevin O’Loughlin to gain insight into their achievements since inception

Business Week: Despite the majority of activities of USAID being regional in nature, which ones did certainly target Botswana as a direct beneficiary?

Kevin O’Loughlin: The Trade Hub is working closely with the government of Botswana to develop the National Single Window, which will connect all users to a single electronic data information exchange platform in order to reduce the time and cost of trade.

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

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...

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