05 Aug 2013

The Botswana Country Strategy Paper (CSP), which began in 2009 is expected to end in December.

Deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Kelapile Ndobano, said at the official opening of the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) products and portfolio workshop last week, that the CSP was a framework which guided the AfDB’s intervention in its regional member countries.

The strategy, he said, was built on two pillars aimed at supporting government in its efforts to diversify the economy from dependence on mining, deepening reforms and addressing infrastructure constraints to private sector development. The bank’s assistance to regional member countries included financial and non-financial instruments.

It sets out a programme of activities as a guide for engagement with the regional member country, including the private sector and other stakeholders. In Botswana, the bank operated in energy, agriculture, water, education and the multi-sector.

To that effect, Mr Ndobano told participants that through the workshop and other CSP consultations that the bank officials had with various stakeholders, since July 29 that the AfDB wanted to gather information that would help it identify ways and areas where it could support Botswana to address its development objectives and challenges.

The workshop, alongside the CSP dialogue, was in the main intended to share its financial products and advisory role that the AfDB could render to help Botswana in its development efforts. Mr Ndobano also indicated that a series of national consultations was ongoing to prepare for the next Botswana CSP, to cover the period 2014 to 2018.

“As the consultation process for the preparation of the next CSP has been kick-started, the pillars for support, including the related activities to be financed, will accordingly be determined and aligned to Government priorities and those of other stakeholder,” he said.

Participants included private sector officials and government officials from various ministries and agencies as well as implementing entities.  ENDS