Botswana pushes for AGOA extension

e Minister of Trade and Industry, Mmusi Kgafela has expressed Botswana’s desire to have the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act ( AGOA) extended beyond the expected lapse in 2025. Kgafela, told the Business Summit that ended this ursday in Dallas Texas, USA that attracted over 1 500 delegates from the US and African states that even though Botswana has not fully utilised AGOA, the country still calls for its extension. Kgafela, who is also Member of Parliament for Mochudi West attributed Botswana’s failure to fully utilise AGOA to various reasons, including lack of capacity, complicated trading procedures in the USA, high costs of trading with USA and lack of market intelligence among others. He however noted that Botswana has in the past bene tted immensely on the textiles side. He observed that for smaller economies like Botswana to bene t more and get access, it might call for partnerships. Kgafela also noted that other impediments are caused by delayed decision- making, noting that Botswana is currently struggling to get its abundant citrus products into the United States of America due to some phyto- sanitary impediments. He also noted that Botswana is looking to get Botswana beef into the USA market and there are some impediments there as well, which he hopes would be overcome in the near future. e minister added that Botswana Investment and Trade Centre ( BITC) is currently assisting companies with certi cations for international market access, including the USA through AGOA. is is the 16th edition of the US- Africa Business Summit and the fourth that Botswana is participating in, including the edition that Botswana hosted last year. BITC Chief Executive O cer Kelotsositse Olebile, said they tagged along about 15 delegates representing 13 private companies who have some opportunity to do business with the US. “Our role as BITC is to facilitate them, to match make and get them to sign deals with relevant counterparts in the US,” he said on the BITC Facebook page. As part of Botswana’s participation, BITC mounted a country pavilion in collaboration with Debswana where they showcased some local products that they believe are relevant for the US market. Olebile said they would also be hosting a Doing- Business in Botswana Forum where di erent sectors would be sharing messages of opportunities that one can invest in Botswana. Botswana is part of the over 40 exhibitors at the Summit. e USAfrica Business Summit is a major platform to strengthen US- Africa trade and investment ties and has been held in other African countries before, including Botswana, Cape Town, South Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Marrakech, Morocco.