03 Mar 2020

Development of border posts was prioritised on the basis of volume of passengers and vehicles that pass through each border.

Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Thapelo Matsheka, told Parliament that because there was an urgent need to upgrade border posts that handled high volume traffic.

He said Sikwane Border Post was one of the border posts that required expansion due to the amount of traffic that it handled.

Dr Matsheka said Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), which had the responsibility to develop and maintain border posts, had come up with expansion plans for the Sikwane Border Post and it was envisaged that it would be expanded in the 2021/2022 finacial year.

He said designating a location as a commercial border post depended on the countries that shared the border.

He said in the case of Sikwane Border Post, the border was shared with South Africa.

Furthermore, he said ‘South Africa has declared four of our border posts to handle commercial traffic. These are Ramatlabama, Pioneer Gate, Tlokweng and Martins Drift border posts.’

Dr Matsheka said government had in the past raised the issue of extending the designation of commercial border posts beyond the four existing commercial border posts with South African government to reconsider their position on the matter, but to no avail. “Since South Africa has not designated Sikwane Border Post as a commercial border post, the South African

Revenue Service (SARS) does not provide customs service at Sikwane, thereby preventing its use for importation of commercial goods such as livestock fodder,” he said.

He said the ministry would keep on following up with South Africa to request that more border posts, such as Sikwane, be designated as commercial border posts to reduce the cost of travel.

Minister Matsheka was answering Mochudi East MP, Mr Mabuse Pule, who had asked if the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development was aware that expansion of Sikwane Border Post was long overdue.

MP Mabuse also wanted the minister to state when the expansion would take place and what measures were in place to make it a commercial border post.

Furthermore, Mr Mabuse asked him if he would consider allowing certain items like livestock fodder such as grass to cross at the border to reduce cost of travel from Sikwane Border Post area to Tlokweng Border Post. ENDS