22 Nov 2022

Monday’s launch of the over P214 multi-annual indicative programme has been described as a milestone in Botswana/European Union (EU) cooperation.

Speaking during the launch of the EU-funded Botswana Multi-Annual Indicative Programme 2021-2027, Minister of Finance Ms Peggy Serame said approximately P214 million was for the 2022-2024 period.

Funding for the remaining period would be agreed upon at a later date, she explained.

Ms Serame said the programme priorities, which had been agreed upon by the two parties, were aligned to national ones.

The priorities sought to assist  Botswana in its diversification drive, human capital development as well as building climate change resilience, explained the minister.

Ms Serame said they were also in alignment with the transitional national development plan scheduled to be tabled during the current sitting of Parliament.

The minister said Botswana needed development partners such as the EU in order to address its challenges and attain its high income status aspirations.

She noted that the EU had over the years invested a lot in the country's economic journey such as by providing physical infrastructure, technical assistance, capacity building and human resource development.

"The education sector has been the greatest beneficiary of the EU support with focus on the reform of the education sector," Ms Serame said.

She said EU support had been extended to public finance management reforms, health, tourism, gender, youth, private sector development and capacity building within civil society to enhance its contribution to national development.

Between 2014  and 2020, Botswana was allocated approximately P206 million under the European Development Fund 11 National Indicative Programme, Ms Serame said.

 Another speaker, EU ambassador to Botswana and SADC, Ms Petra Pereyra said the latest programme was the result of consultations with multiple stakeholders on how her organisation could support Botswana’s economic transformation and high income status ambitions.

“The objective of this cooperation programme is to unleash the full economic potential of Botswana and support the country in its journey from a natural resource based to a knowledge based one,” Ms Pereyra said. 

She said the programme focused on green transformation, economic diversification and job creation.

Ms Pereyra said since the EU opened offices in Gaborone  41 years ago, the partnership between government and her organisation had developed significantly to cover development cooperation as well as economic, trade and political relations.

 Botswana, she said, was the EU’s closest partner on the continent. Ends