26 Jan 2020

Acting Permanent Secretary to the President, Mr Elias Magosi, has described the just ended 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland as an eye opener.

Mr Magosi was part of a Botswana delegation led by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi on a mission to look for economic opportunities for Botswana at the annual forum.

He told BOPA in an interview that his biggest take away from the forum was the important role played by private sector in development of some countries.

“The way the private sector elsewhere takes responsibility to solve social issues is interesting. They are not coming in for the sake of profit, they also consider the notion of profit with a purpose. They are prepared as the private sector to work with government to ensure delivery of important services such as education, health, construction of roads and others,” he said.

Mr Magosi also emphasised the need to ensure that synergies between public and private sectors thrived to the extent that the latter should be positioned to see societal problems from government’s view point.

To achieve such, Mr Magosi stated that there was need for a paradigm shift in the public service. “Obviously this requires a public servant who thinks differently to enable the private sector to chip-in and become part of the solution to an array of societal challenges,” he said.

His other take away point was the need to enable the private sector to be what it was by creating a precise flexible and conducive environment as well as relaxing some of the prohibitive regulations.

Meanwhile, ambassador and permanent representative of Botswana to the United Nations and other international organisations in Switzerland, Dr Athalia Molokomme said trade relations between Botswana and Switzerland were a bit slow.

She said, however, that Switzerland was a special place and that staff at Botswana’s mission in Geneva had taken it upon themselves to reach out to the affluent Swiss companies with a view to lure them to open businesses in Botswana.

Dr Molokomme noted that the Botswana mission was currently courting a Swiss company involved in watch making to consider doing business with Botswana. “They are interested in securing small diamonds and would love to use these precious commodities to decorate their watches,” she said, adding that Switzerland was also known as home of small businesses, something she said Botswana could learn from. ENDS