25 May 2021

Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) will spend approximately P500 million on upgrading Pioneer Border Post to a one-stop facility.

Addressing the media recently, BURS principal infrastructure development officer, Mr Olatlhile Majeka said the project would improve BURS’ service provision through all channels including online.

It would also facilitate seamless movement of persons as well as goods and services thereby enhancing taxpayers’ ability to comply with tax obligations with ease, he said.

Mr Majeka said the project encompassed the main immigration offices, staff accommodation, crèche, gymnasium, playgrounds, weighbridge and cafeteria.

Phase one of the project, comprising mainly residential area and temporary road works, was at 70 per cent completion, he said.

He said the residential area included nine blocks of 168 low cost houses, 11 blocks of 22 medium cost and eight high cost totalling 198 housing units expected to be ready for occupation by August.

“As for phase two construction, which comprises everything, structures detailed in the plan apart of the accommodation facility, progression is sitting at about 24 per cent,” he said.

Mr Majeka said sub-projects included building a sewer connecting to the Lobatse sewerage system and a domestic water pump for the facility.

The project, which commenced last July, is expected to be fully completed by September 2023.

Explaining the one-stop border post concept, BURS general manager for south region, Mr Gaone Phela said it referred to the legal and institutional framework, facilities and associated procedures that enabled goods, people and vehicles to stop at a single facility for necessary controls.

He said regional and national laws for exiting one state and entering the other were followed.

The one stop implied a unified office assisting travelers on transit as opposed to the traditional setup, he said.

Mr Phela said the Pioneer Border Post was among the latest projects BURS had undertaken to improve its services. 

The others were construction of the BURS head office building,  a one-stop facility at Kazungula Border Post and acquisition of a modern tax management and revenue collection system. Ends