SEZA inks deal with local authorities
The Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) has signed Global Service Level Agreements (SLA) and the Mayors’ Forum Charter with several local authorities in the Special Economic Zones (SEZ).
The agreements cemented SEZA’s relations with the councils, which are widely recognised as key agents of change that can bring services closer to the people, enhance administrative expediency, and foster citizen economic development.
In recognition of their mutually inclusive functions and intertwined mandates, SEZA and local authorities set up the Mayors’ Forum as a nexus for the cross-pollination of ideas to deliver meaningful and impactful developments for the national economy.
SEZA CEO, Lonely Mogara said the key focus areas for the Mayors’ Forum will include referral and facilitation of investors for establishment in the different localities; issuance of permits and licences; infrastructure development as well as joint monitoring and evaluation of the SEZ projects.
“The Mayors’ Forum is therefore an ideal platform that will enhance collaboration and facilitate the free flow of information between SEZA and local authorities; the culmination of which will be employment creation and economic development,” Mogara said.
One of the major reasons why SEZA was formed was to improve the ease of doing business and make Botswana an investment destination of choice. This was borne out of concerns about bureaucracy and red tape, which were identified as great impediments to doing business in Botswana, he said.
Further, the CEO said the key function of local authorities is intertwined with SEZA’s mandate of establishing, developing, managing, and regulating SEZs. He further expressed confidence that the Mayors’ Forum is an ideal platform to enhance the free flow of information between SEZA and local authorities.
“It is our firm belief that ring-fencing SEZ Reforms at the local government level will ensure easier implementation and bring about much-needed transformation in the areas where our SEZs are located,” he said.