Comment: New Botswana - EU cooperation framework a welcome development

Botswana has just taken her cooperation with the European Union to a completely new level with the launch of the Botswana MultiAnnual Indicative Programme for the period 2021- 2027 under the new Cooperation Framework called the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument ( NDICI).

The MIP will be funded to the tune of 16 million Euros, approximately 214 million Pula for the first three years ( 2022- 2024), while the funding for the subsequent period ( 2025- 2027) will be agreed upon at a later date.

The two priorities agreed for the MIP, which incidentally, are aligned to Botswana’s national priorities and will seek to assist the country in its diversification drive, human capital development as well as building resilience to climate change are; Economic Diversification and Jobs: with focus on skills development, digitalisation, trade and investment; and, Green Transformation: with focus on sustainable energy, biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and tourism.

Since 1975 when the Lomé Convention between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific ( ACP) countries came into being, until the Cotonou Agreement of 2000 – the EU has been a constant and trusted development partner for Botswana. We all remember how the Selibe Phikwe copper mine survived the rigours of falling international copper prices through successive EDF financing and how the EU invested in the country’s physical infrastructure, provided technical assistance, capacity building and human resource development.

For instance, lately, Botswana was allocated 16 million Euros, approximately 206 million Pula, under the European Development Fund ( EDF) 11 National Indicative Programme ( NIP) for the period 2014- 2020. The National Indicative Programme covered three programmes - Technical, Vocational Education and Training ( TVET) Budget Support Programme, the Policy Dialogue Facility Programme and the Technical Cooperation Facility. When launching the Botswana Multi- Annual Indicative Programme ( MIP) for the period 2021- 2027, Finance Minister Peggy Serame, and the new EU Ambassador to Botswana and SADC, Petra Pereyra - observed that the greatest beneficiary of the EU support has been the education sector especially the reform of the Education sector through technical assistance, knowledge sharing and skills transfer. Other areas of support have been extended to Botswana’s public finance management reform, health, tourism, gender, youth, private sector development and capacity building within the civil society to enhance their contribution to national development.

Serame noted that in addition to the EDF11 bilateral envelope of 16 million Euros, Botswana has also been offered support under the regional envelopes for the SADC Economic Partnership Agreement ( SADC/ EPA) Implementation Plan ( at 6 million Euros) and Support to Job Creation and Investment Climate ( at 5 million Euros) which are currently ongoing and being implemented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

It is comforting to note that despite being categorised as a Middle Income Country and therefore ineligible for donor funding, the EU continues to handhold Botswana, as she endeavours to develop her people and ground her footing in the comity of nations.

In an effort to materialise this new Cooperation Framework, Ambassador Pereyra held an open- discussion meet and greet session with the country’s editors and reporters from various media houses at which she reiterated the EU’s readiness to assist Botswana, especially in the grey areas of governance, which has lately taken a hard knock. We welcome the gesture and wish Her Excellency Godspeed during her tenure.