10 May 2021

As part of the stated aim of creating a knowledge-based economy and positioning the country towards participation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, government is currently engaged in a digital transformation of public services through the Smart Botswana (SmartBots) initiative.

Government online coordinator, Mr Pontsho Pusoetsile revealed this during a press conference in Gaborone recently. 

Mr Pusoetsile said government was working on ensuring that citizens could access a variety of public services online.

This was being coordinated through the SmartBots strategy, adopted by cabinet on February 2020 and implemented from October of that year, Mr Pusoetsile said.  

He described the strategy as an action plan to transform the public sector for the efficient provision of services to citizens and private business, as well as to reform education with a focus of building information communication technology (ICT) human capital.

Mr Pusoetsile said among the objectives of SmartBots were to improve digital connectivity in the country; to provide competitive knowledge and build a relevant workforce; develop integrated and seamless customer service; create data-driven products and services as well as to prioritise and invest in ideas that can compete globally.

“A citizen accessing services must go to one online location and access government services or local authorities and state owned entities. 

In the same breath a citizen who wishes to access government services physically should be afforded the same courtesy of being able to access all government services from one location,” Mr Pusoetsile said.

He added that government had created the Molepolole Service Hall at the Kweneng District capital’s Mafenyatlala Mall as a pilot centre, where citizens could access a variety of government services in one physical location. 

Also, there are plans for the online provision of a variety of services in one digital site, he disclosed. 

Mr Pusoetsile further revealed that currently there were a variety of public services that could be accessed through their website using the 1gov.gov.bw domain, with such services also accessible to mobile devices through the OneGov application accessed through Google Play Store digital distribution service.

The application for internship, vehicle registration, a Botswana driving license, common law land rights, plant import permit and the permission to sell veterinary drugs, vaccines, equipment and livestock feed are some of the services already offered online. Ends