05 Aug 2014

Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology (MIST) is committed to creating a conducive environment for research and development.

Speaking at MIST Pitso in Gaborone on Tuesday August 5, Minister Johnnie Swartz said the process for establishing the structures for coordination and funding of research and development had commenced.

The minister noted that the Board of Trustees for Innovation Fund was appointed last month and would start work soon.

The new Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) was successfully established a year ago to conduct needs based research and development in areas of national interest, he said.

Mr Swartz noted that the country was still limited when in matters of research and development in general, while its innovative capacity remained low on the global scale. 

The minister highlighted that MIST, in collaboration with the private sector, realised meaningful progress in creating an enabling environment for the private sector to achieve self-regulation and bring requisite professionalism that was necessary to drive the industry towards excellence.

In this regard, Mr Swartz said professional registration boards or councils for the three key professions in the construction sector had all now been established.

He noted that the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) and the Architects Registration Council (ARC) were established in 2010 and the amendment Acts in 2012, adding that the two respective professions had now paved a way for implementation of two Acts.

Further, Minister Swartz said the ERB had already commenced with the registration of engineers while the ARC was expected to start registration of architects before the end of 2014.

He also highlighted that the Quantity Surveyor’s Registration Council (QSRC) was launched in July following the enactment of the Quantity Surveyors Act in April and that the council was also expected to start registration as soon as possible. Ends