28 Feb 2019

 In a bid to continue promoting trade between Botswana and Zimbabwe, the country has through the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) participated at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) over the years.

This was said by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Ms Bogolo Kenewendo when answering a question in Parliament on February 25.

Ms Kenewendo said the ZITF provided a platform for participating countries to link businesses with potential investors and buyers as well as to showcase new industries, technology and improved products from different sectors of the economy.

She said Botswana’s participation at the ZITF was mainly to continue to expose and introduce Botswana products to the Zimbabwean market, expand market share for existing products and also forge meaningful networks with key players in the Zimbabwean economy.

Ms Kenewendo added that BITC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Zimtrade, its counterpart in Zimbabwe with a view to join forces and maintain a continuous working relationship for the achievement of their common objective of promoting economic ties between the two countries.

She said a number of companies from Francistown had been participating on missions led by BITC to Zimbabwe, adding that this had led to some of them securing orders in the Zimbabwean market.

She noted that some of the products that were currently being exported to Zimbabwe included PVC pipes and tanks, clay bricks, laundry bar soap, perfumes, deodorants, hair products and automobile parts.

The minister noted that the two countries had a bilateral agreement that was signed back in 1956 and amended in August 2010 to, among others, facilitate trade between them.

She said the provisions of the agreement applied to goods grown, produced or manufactured in the territory of both countries, which may either be a district or city, hence the City of Francistown too was covered by the same agreement.

MP for Francistown South Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked what the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry was doing to facilitate trade between Zimbabwe and the City of Francistown given the economic situation in the neighbouring country.

Also, he had wanted to know how the ministry was assisting business people in Francistown to smoothly do business in Zimbabwe. ENDS