First phase of SSKIA economic zone complete
The first phase of infrastructure development, detailed design and land servicing of the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport ( SSKIA) Special Economic Zones will be complete by end of this month, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Peggy Serame has told parliament
The project, which started in January 2020, was programmed to be complete by October 2020. However, delays were experienced due to the COVID- 19 pandemic and recent heavy rains, the minister stressed. “As a result, the revised completion of the construction works is end of March 2021, whilst the design of the wider precinct is expected to be completed in May 2021. This will avail one hundred ( 100) hectares to accommodate investors who wish to develop export- focused industries within this zone. Furthermore, design and construction of four ( 4) advanced factory shells will be undertaken within the serviced area during the next financial year,” said Serame.
According to the minister, the first two investors, in the diamond and ICT sectors, have been licensed to setup operations in the area. Meanwhile, the minister has said that, SEZA has collaborated with the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board ( BAMB), to construct twelve ( 12), 5000 metric tonnes of grain storage silos at the Pandamatenga SEZ. “These will be completed in August 2021 and will make available 60 000 metric tonnes of silo grain storage, thus bringing the total silo grain storage in Pandamatenga to 90 000 metric tonnes. This will go a long way in contributing towards the national food security and the establishment of the Pandamatenga SEZ as a fully integrated agro- production and agroprocessing zone,” he said. Botswana has dentified 8 SEZs which are designated geographical spaces within the national economic space that are governed by special administrative, regulatory and fiscal regimes, different from those dispensed in the rest of the domestic economy.