01 Sep 2021

Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) will refurbish Pont Drift Border facilities at an estimated cost of P3.8 million this current financial year.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ms Peggy Serame, said this in response to a question in Parliament on Tuesday.

Ms Serame said the facilities to be refurbished included offices and residential houses, adding that a citizen constructor had been awarded the contract.

She also indicated that cyclical and emergency maintenance of the facilities would continue as necessary to keep them operational.

Minister Serame also told Parliament that funds permitting, Platjan and Zanzibar border posts would also be refurbished in the 2022/23 financial year.

Meanwhile, the minister acknowledged shortage of accommodation at some of border posts including Zanzibar, Platjan and Mabolwe in the Bobonong area.

“The main reason for the shortage of housing at those border posts was due to limited resources as these projects had to compete with other border posts around the country,” she explained.

Bobonong MP, Mr Taolo Lucas had wanted to know if there were plans, short to medium term, to address challenges of shortage of accommodation as well as improve the poor state of accommodation for BURS employees at Zanzibar, Platjan and Mabolwe border gates. ENDS