13 Mar 2019

The Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation has prioritised stronger economic diplomacy into the country’s foreign policy engagement in order to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Presenting the ministry’s 2019/2020 budget proposals, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Unity Dow stated that her ministry would continue to strive to contribute to employment creation through engendering beneficial participation in global markets and seeking international markets for locally produced goods.

She said it was essential that government re-doubled its efforts to focus on activities that enhanced the country’s global competitiveness.

Dr Dow stated that her ministry, through diplomatic missions abroad, sat at a vantage point to reach out to investors and tourists as well as gather market intelligence, trends and opportunities which could assist in informing business decisions for local ompanies.

Dr Dow said her ministry had in that regard facilitated a number of inbound and outbound business and tourism promotion missions from and to countries such as India, United States of America, China, Belgium and South Africa.

She said the missions were aimed at promoting Botswana as an investment and tourism destination.

Dr Dow pleaded with Parliament to approve her ministry’s P677 million budget for the 2019/20 fiscal year. 

It comprises of P570 million for recurrent budget and P107 million for development budget.

Of the proposed recurrent budget, she said P278 million would be used for personal emoluments which include payment of salaries, foreign service, educational allowances and remuneration for locally recruited staff in respective diplomatic missions.

The remaining P292 million had been allocated for other charges including general expenses and supplies, travel and transportation costs and running expenses and replacement of vehicles.

She explained that the increase in personal emoluments was attributed to various factors, including the growing cost of living in host countries, increased property rentals and rates and the need for extensive renovation works at some missions.

With regard to the development budget, Dr Dow indicated that of the P107 million budget, P59 million would be for the continuation and completion of the construction of the chancery building in Ethiopia.

She said P19 million would be allocated for renovation of ministry headquarter buildings which included the two office buildings, state guest house and the VVIP lounge at Sir Seretse Khama Airport.

The remaining P28 million of the development budget, she said, would be for purchases of property in Switzerland which would be built over a three year period and handed over to the mission in 2020.

Furthermore, Dr Dow expressed gratitude towards the country’s bilateral cooperation frameworks, adding that the country was satisfied with the efficacy of the frameworks as instruments that served to enhance collaboration with strategic partners both in the region and beyond.

She further noted that it was fundamental to nurture friendly relations with other countries if Botswana was to enjoy peace and stability which had been a hallmark of the nation’s culture. 

She added that the extent of high level exchange visits in diplomacy was an important measure to determine the goodwill that a country enjoyed internationally. ENDS