05 Aug 2020

Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) Francistown branch remains optimistic that the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will improve with time.

Speaking in an interview with BOPA yesterday, BITC director - business services, Mr Gaorekwe Gaorekwe explained that lockdowns necessitated by COVID-19 had negatively affected business operations and planned projects.

“Our biggest challenge has been dealing with business frustrations caused by COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns,” he said.

Mr Gaorekwe said some clients had to operate without key personnel since they could not travel.

However, he said the branch was happy with the utilisation of the office since it opened its doors to the public early last year. “It goes to show that indeed the decision to open an office that services the northern region was a welcome development,” he said.He said the office continued to receive a lot of walk-in customers, some seeking to understand the role of the office and how it could assist them.

Mr Gaorekwe said according to the register, the office received up to 70 customers a week.

“We continue to help a lot of businesses with various government authorisations such as work and residence permits as well as land facilitation services.

We continue to assist businesses seeking to register for the use of Pridemark and access to other BITC programmes such as the Export Development Programme,” he said.

He said because of the strong stakeholder relationships that the office had established, BITC had been able to help some clients to unlock challenges that affected their business operations.

Mr Gaorekwe explained that the opening of the Francistown office was part of BITC’s strategy to increase its footprint in Botswana.

The office, he said,  served as an extension of the Gaborone one, therefore, to a large extent, offered similar services.

He said the opening of the office also exposed the fact that a lot of people did not understand the BITC mandate.

“We still have walk-in clients asking for assistance for funding from BITC or asking to be assisted with starting their businesses. But the good thing is that even when they come to us, we direct them to the right organisation that would help them,” he said.

Mr Gaorekwe revealed that the plan was to strengthen BITC collaboration with entities such as Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) and Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) to ensure that clients fully understood the services offered by each of the organisations.

The Francistown office is responsible for promoting business development and encouraging investment in the northern part of Botswana.

It services both domestic and foreign investors in Francistown and its surrounding areas and effectively serves as a one-stop business centre for the city and adjacent regional blocks such as SPEDU, Orapa/Letlhakane and  Pandamatenga/Kasane.

BITC believes the branch will contribute towards building and fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship.

The organisation plays a critical role in driving Botswana’s economic growth through attraction of FDI, domestic investment and facilitating the growth of exports by promoting locally manufactured goods. Ends