21 Jun 2017

Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) says skilled and qualified professionals in logistics are vital for the country’s growth and diversification in pursuit of the transformation from middle to a high income country.

Giving a keynote address at the launch of the new Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) Master of Arts (MA) in procurement and logistics management, Mr Carter Morupisi said human capital development was a key requirement for successful industries in Botswana and around the world.

He said it was refreshing to see reputable institutions such as BAC investing time and resources in enhancing their product delivery and impacting positively on the national economy.

Mr Morupisi said the introduction of the programme came at the opportune time when Botswana repositions herself, not only as a key regional player, but also as an active and visible participant in the world economy.

“Starting this programme will act as a catalyst towards ensuring that Botswana participates regionally and internationally in the area of logistics management and asset management skills development,” he said.

He added that it was pleasing that the programme was a collaboration between BAC and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB), and that it would address the demand for qualified procurement practitioners in Botswana.

Mr Morupisi also noted that procurement and logistics management had risen to prominence in competitive global economies.

He said such progressive developments were encouraging, and that they resonated with government’s priority areas, particularly the one on education and skills development. He added that it would contribute to job creation and taking Batswana out of poverty.

“It is always gratifying to see key stakeholders such as BAC active in this national journey for we can only as a collective move towards achieving prosperity for all Batswana by 2036,” said Mr Morupisi, further imploring BAC to continue investing in initiatives that would lead to growth.

He said like many other countries, Botswana was still battling with high unemployment, particularly among the youth despite the fact that many of them had tertiary qualifications.

“These, in some instances are due to the mismatch in the programmes they are trained in with industry demands. As we launch this programme, I implore BAC to ensure that admission into the course speaks to the situation on the ground in terms of the demand for procurement and logistics management professionals in the market,” said Mr Morupisi.

He added that it was his hope that the results of the programme at BAC would bear tangible results for the country’s economic growth.

He urged other institutions and key players in the economy to emulate efforts by BAC and capitalise on niches that were in the market and optimise on them.

The programme has been designed to provide procurement and supply chain professionals with an understanding and the relevant skills to procure/source on a global basis.

It is specifically targeted at people within the procurement or supply chain sector, or people seeking to enter the procurement and supply chain profession.

A master’s degree in procurement and logistics management is informed by academic research and practical applied knowledge to provide learners with an in-depth understanding of procurement, supply chain management, global perspective, logistics, corporate governance, ethics and contract management. BOPA