15 Mar 2017

Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC) consultant, Mr Letsogile Batsetswe says most problems affecting the business environment in Botswana are human related, according to the global business competitiveness report.

However, Mr Batsetswe said poor work ethics which had been at the top of challenges affecting Botswana’s business competitiveness were being addressed.

BNPC, he said was tasked with addressing the challenge and about 957 people were trained in smart work ethics, 895 from the public service and 62 from the private sector.

Mr Batsetswe said poor work ethics was a daily challenge which BNPC would keep on targeting.

He said it seemed many lacked understanding about business clusters hence were still at infancy stage in the country.

Clusters make business easier and more rewarding for those doing business, he said.

He encouraged those with businesses to look beyond competition and imitation in as far as clusters were concerned since the mentality prevented people from faring well in the stiff international markets.

Mr Batsetswe pointed out the need to find alternative markets for Botswana even though it remained land locked country.

Ministry of Investment Trade and Industry official, Mr Jaconia Malunga said a predictable and conducive business environment was key to attract investors.

He said Botswana business environment had experienced challenges which had worsened the business environment from 2008 to date like other countries around the world.

Mr Malunga said Botswana had made attempts in economic diversification through policies and strategies and promoting itself as a least corrupt country however, the country still faced stiff competition as part of the global village.

“Initiatives and efforts have been engaged in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) but little progress has been reached,” he said.

He noted that the Doing Business ranking had slightly dropped in 2017 compared to 2016.

Mr Malunga said the problematic factors of the business environment in Botswana were inefficient government bureaucracy, access to finance, inadequately educated work force, insufficient capacity to innovate, business sophistication, inadequate supply infrastructure and corruption.

He therefore said there was need for standardisation of government processes and procedures to ease doing business as well as promotion of efficiency and effectiveness of government processes and procedures, “stagnant mentality of doing business must change,” he said.

BNPC regional manager, Mr Tshenolo Mapitse said it was important for stakeholders to reflect on the competitiveness results and share ideas with BNPC to change the business environment of Botswana. ENDS