03 Jul 2017

Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) managing director, Mr Bashi Gaetsaloe says BDC continues to build strategic partnerships with leading financial institutions across the region.

Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Mr Gaetsaloe said DBSA sought to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development and improve the quality of life of the people in the SADC region by driving financial and non-financial investments in the socio and economic infrastructure sector.

He said that the strategic objectives of the new partnership were based on capacity building and exchange programme whose aim was to address gaps and needs, both current and emerging by recommending ways of addressing them and identifying opportunities to strengthen capacity at national and regional level by project preparation and co-financing some of the projects.

Mr Gaetsaloe said the alliance would give BDC an opportunity to access a broader range of resources and expertise, adding the mutual understanding allowed BDC and DBSA an opportunity to formalise a non-exclusive framework of cooperation and future collaboration.

“This relates to the identification, preparation, financing and implementation of bankable infrastructure projects within Botswana,” he said, noting that the process would allow sharing of information, skills, knowledge expertise and systems.

Through the partnership, Mr Gaetsaloe said BDC would make a mark in the Southern Africa market in order to grow its pipeline and that the collaborative environment would strengthen communities and offer BDC an important opportunity for success and expansion.

DBSA general manager-International Division, Mr Davies Pwele said BDC and DBSA would conquer the infrastructure space Botswana had.

He said DBSA looked at areas that would impact on the lives of people and that included portable water, transportation ICT, energy and others.

Mr Pwele said the real matter was the implementation of the MoU by looking at impact projects in the National Development Plan that could change the people’s lives.

He said that they were working on innovative funding, project building and capacity building by identifying skills gaps.

He also noted that they were extending their mandate even outside the borders of Botswana. ENDS