Gov't expands infant industry protection measures :: Mmegi Online

Following long trade negotiations with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) for Botswana to expand the list of businesses protected under the Infant Industry Protection Act, the government has finally succeeded despite growing unease from South Africa, which believes Botswana is progressively closing its borders.

Thermal paper, shade nets, and surgical masks have now been added to the growing list of industries protected under Botswana’s trade protection framework. Importers seeking to source these products from outside the country will face higher tariffs as the government attempts to shield emerging local manufacturers from established foreign competitors.

The expansion follows months of negotiations within the SACU bloc, where Botswana required the consent of member states before implementing the measures. Tabling his ministry’s budget before the Committee of Supply recently, Minister of Trade and Industry Tiroaone Ntsima said the process had taken longer than anticipated because of consultations with other member states, with obvious objections from large-scale producers of these materials, like South Africa