14 Sep 2016

The Engineers Registration Board (ERB) was set out to promote the highest standards of engineering practices in Botswana and protect the welfare and interest of the public in the engineering practice.

The ERB registrar, Mr Dennis Olaotse said theirs is a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament to regulate the activities and the conduct of engineers in Botswana.

Speaking at the ERB press conference recently, Mr Olaotse said in order to carry out its mandate, the board has the responsibility to prescribe the eligibility requirements for persons applying to be registered and practice professional engineering under the act.

The other mandate, he said, include assessing application for registration in the identified registration categories and register engineers at the same time issuing practicing certificates.

He said the other obligation of the board is to monitor standards of engineering practice, ethics and conduct or authorise inquiries regarding any alleged professional misconduct of any engineer.

“The ERB was set up as an entity with the capacity to acquire and dispose of movable and immovable property,” he said in order for the board to kick start its key activities.

The government through the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology (MIST) agreed to extend a subvention to ERB for a period of five years beginning 2011, he added.

Mr Olaotse said due to challenges related to the board not owning its own premises to operate from and a slow response rate from engineers with respect to registration, the board had since not reached a level of self-sustenance given the revenue it generated, hence it still depends on part-time funding from the parent Ministry and  part funding from self-generated revenue.

He said out of an estimated population of 5 500 engineers in Botswana, the board has to date registered 2 239 engineers which only translates to 41 per cent, adding that these engineers are registered in various disciplines including Civil, Mechanical, Mining, Telecommunications, Electrical and  Electronics.

 Mr Olaotse said ERB was pleased to announce the publication of the Engineers Registration Regulations which were gazetted on June 10 to facilitate the operationalisation of the Engineers Registration Act and provide guidelines of how best to regulate the activities and conduct of engineering professionals.

“The regulations provides for the categories of registration and its procedures, issuance of practicing certificates and most importantly it mentions the importance of compliance by engineering professionals to the set Code of Conduct and Ethics,” he said. ENDS