05 Dec 2017

Specially Elected MP, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo has tabled a motion calling on government to reduce the cost and time associated with starting a business.

Presenting the motion on Friday, Ms Kenewendo said several studies had shown that it was cumbersome in terms of both time and cost to set up a business in Botswana, saying it was important for the country to aspire to be world-class on issues of setting up businesses. The MP said such a move would help attract investors as well as allow unemployed graduates to start businesses.

She said it was sad that it could take over 60 days to start a business while in other countries it took far less.

She said Rwanda and Singapore were some of such countries in which starting and finishing processes necessary to set up a business took a matter of minutes.

Ms Kenewendo said the move would also stimulate SMMEs, adding that they had proven to be the engine of growth for economies the world over.

When Parliament adjourned, the MP had not yet finished presenting her motion.

Meanwhile, still in Parliament, Minister Prince Maele of land management, water and sanitation services has informed Parliament that the water crisis in the country needed a multi-faceted approach.

Mr Maele said whereas Botswana was an arid country with unreliable aquifers and water courses, the situation was exacerbated by erratic rainfalls affecting the recharging of the aquifers.

The minister, who was responding to a call by Ghanzi North MP, Mr Noah Salakae to give an update on the water crisis in the country, said to address the problem there was need for the identification and optimisation of surface water and underground water aquifers as well as exploring possibilities for harvesting rain water and grey water re-use.

He said it was necessary to intensify water conservation to optimise use of available water and to put in place apt processes for development and maintenance of the infrastructure to ensure access by all as well as to minimise water loss.

Mr Maele, who is also the MP for Lerala-Maunatlala, informed the house that his ministry had embarked on a number of initiatives such as damming of water around major rivers,  exploration and development of underground water aquifers and the expansion of the North South Carrier pipeline.

He added that simultaneous with the cited initiatives was the review of the Water Master Plan.

“Government secured a loan of P1.5 billion from the World Bank for implementing the Botswana Emergency Water Security and Efficiency Project,” he said.

He explained that the objective of the project was to improve the availability of water supply in drought vulnerable areas, increase the efficiency of WUC, and strengthen waste water management. Ends