Masisi unveils investment process accelerator
President Mokgweetsi Masisi has announced the establishment of the Botswana Economic Development Board, an entity tasked with ironing out bottlenecks to investment and business processes. Giving the keynote address at the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) annual conference held here last week, he made public the new entity in response to the tourism industry’s concerns about the delays in the provision of various government services.
“We have set up a Botswana Economic Development Board, which I myself am heading to deal with all legal and administrative bottlenecks that stop investment,” Masisi said on Friday. “This board will look and resolve all the worries on lease renewals and concessions.
“Delays in permits, concessions, and security of tenure will be cleared out.”Earlier in the conference, HATAB chairperson, Joe Motse, expressed the tourism industry’s concerns about the pace of accessing government services due to bureaucracy. “We are worried about the slow pace of lease agreement renewals and delays in concession allocations. “We request that government speeds up this process.
“Delays in lease renewals have renewed fears from investors as the security of their investments is at risk and the appetite to continue investing has dropped due to these delays,” he said.
Motor Holdings chairman, Charles Tibone, noted that while citizens hold 80% of the tourism leases, they do not receive the commensurate economic value.
“What matters is not just the leases but the value these licences deliver,” he said. “It is also important that the distribution of concessions and leases be done in a fair and legally appropriate manner.
“Land Boards have in the past been accused of favouritism; even the Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism itself has been accused in the past.”
HATAB’s annual conference attracted about 500 delegates from across the tourism industry. The annual event provides a platform for the industry to discuss key emerging issues and formulate solutions.