13 Feb 2019

Botswana  is to begin the process of ratifying the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement signed at the just ended African Union summit in Ethiopia.

 Briefing the media at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport upon arrival on Tuesday, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said Botswana became the 51st AU member to sign the agreement.

“We are yet to ratify, we have received ratification documents which we would take through the process of ratification internally and we would deposit them with the African Union (AU) after so doing as soon as possible,” said Dr Masisi.

The President said the agreement would provide access to markets to the rest of southern Africa and at the same time  open Botswana to goods and services from the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.

“For the first time, Africa, by this agreement has facilitated freedom of trade, intra-African trade and much similar to Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) but at continental level,” he said.

The intention, President  Masisi explained, was for jobs to be created.

The agreement was also seen as a vehicle and instrument to stem the tide of undesirable migrations of persons forcibly displaced or voluntarily caused to move by circumstances, he said.

On the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the President said Botswana became the 38th country to accede to the forum.

“By signing in to the APRM, we do not only want to institutionalise our democratic governance practices but to improve them for there may be weaknesses,” he said.

APRM was introduced in 2003 to encourage conformity with political, economic and corporate governance values and codes of standards that member states lived by, the President said.

Dr Masisi said among the issues discussed at the summit were financial reforms with deliberations centering around Africa’s commitment to financing its own development.

“One of the major hurdles in the past has been Africa’s dependence on external donor funding particularly for its peace and security efforts. To date, because of this drive, $89 million has been raised for the first time from within Africa for the peace and security sector,” he said.

Dr Masisi also touched on his meeting with prime minister of Norway Ms Erna Solberg while in Ethiopia saying they discussed beef exports to the Scandanavian country.

“I requested not only that we be allowed to keep the quota but also to be given preferential quota for supply of beef to Norway which provides the best price and best market within the whole of European Union for our beef,” President Masisi said.

In addition, he said Botswana asked that it be allowed to keep the 500 tonnes quota for its mutton. 

“Sadly we have not yet  attempted to produce or deliver even half a kilogram which is an indictment on us. We encourage our people to grow enough lamb and mutton to be able to export to the EU,” he said.

Dr Masisi said it was critical that Norway considered Botswana’s requests favorably because "these were building blocks for sustained peace and improved livelihoods."

 He said Botswana also asked Norway to assist in the enhancing the generation of renewable energy in which the latter had comparative advantage.

Dr Masisi announced that Botswana won the AU Gender Scorecard for  its efforts in the gender space. ends