04 Nov 2015

The Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has said Botswana is “a beautiful country and safe to do business” with its  stable economy and strong labour relations and an opportunity for growth is phenomenal.

Mr Masisi said the country continues to enjoy favorable, high ranking on measures of corruption, governance and economic growth and said all can celebrate this as Batswana as it is their heritage of 49 years of progress.

 Giving a keynote address at the occasion of the 40^th anniversary celebrations of Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited Group (BIHL) in Gaborone on Tuesday, Mr Masisi said when BIHL opened its doors 40 years ago, it began with people, and people remain integral to what BIHL does, and who they are.

The Vice President said the hard work, effort, dedication and passion of so many are what make Batswana the great nation that they are, a prosperous, productive and innovative nation with Botho and said it is this kind of culture and ethic that BIHL exudes.

Mr Masisi said the theme for the celebrations Growing with Botswana, encapsulates government’s vision for a more sustainable development model, where all actors in the economy facilitate growth, and is indeed a testament to the partnership between government and the private sector.

He said Botswana is confronted with socio-economic challenge of great proportions; being unemployment, represented by the youth of this country which is the largest demography in the society and said it is recognition of this reality that President Lt General Seretse khama Ian Khama recently launched the economic stimulus programme which seeks to accelerate employment creation to stimulate the economy and boost economic diversification.

Mr Masisi said he noted the importance of an organization of the size of BIHL Group with such great impact in the story of Botswana of narrative country of peace and advancement, and it is also pleasing to see the mandate and the heritage of a corporate citizen such as BIHL intricately woven in that of the nation.

He said the country needs more responsible, well governed and ambitious members of the private sector to support and work with government to realise Botswana’s dream and called for help to build the narrative of the small but ambitious nation that fast becomes the true success story of the African continent.

The Vice President went on to say BIHL employs over 380 people, just over 281 million shares are floated on the national stock exchange, within excess of 2808 individuals or institutions taking ownership of these.

He said across the Group, over 280 000 policies are served, and since its inception, over P12 million has been committed and delivered for corporate social investment activities and said eight schools have been adopted through the Adopt-A-School programme, over 74 teachers trained through collaborative projects focused on literacy training.

Mr Masisi said Botswana life presented the president’s housing Appeal with a cheque for P1.5 million.

In her welcoming remarks, the BIHL Group’s chairperson, Ms Batsho Dambe-Groth praised all that have been part the of the BIHL Group for the past 40 years and said it was not a smooth road to travel  and urged them to continue applying themselves. Ends