28 Aug 2023

COVID-19 effects and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war forces governments and private companies to introspect and to come up with new strategies that will help them to continue to be stable even under challenges.

Officiating at the launch of Botswana Ash (BOTASH) five year strategy plan on Friday, the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mr Lefoko Moagi, said governments and private companies must re-imagine economic growth paths and the sustainability of their businesses to shield them from future economic shocks.

Mr Moagi said it was particularly critical in the mining sector as mines were still the mainstay of the economy.

He said coming up with a strategy was a public display of commitment by the board of directors of the mining company, management and staff.

Mr Moagi also said government subscribed to sustainable mining hence the formalisation of the minerals policy.

The policy, he explained, provided strategic direction on the management and development of the country’s mineral resources.

He said the beneficiation, value addition, citizen economic empowerment and local participation were some of the issues addressed by the policy.

He added that the objective of the policy was to maximise benefits from minerals while providing a competitive and rewarding environment for investors.

He also said the government was committed to ensuring adherence to environmental and other sustainable imperatives in accordance with the law and best practices.

He added that their strategy must be aligned to their policy obligations.

Mr Moagi said when the government decided to invest in the Sua Pan project, they projected a strategic value to the country’s economy as the products fed into the value chains such as food processing, construction and the motor vehicle industry.

He noted that soda ash was critical to the glass production industry.

He said Botash’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product was approximately two per cent with a value of over P680 million in royalties, taxes and dividends over the past five years.

The managing director of Botash, Mr Kangangwani Phatshwane, said their strategy was a testament to their commitment to take Botswana Ash to greater heights.

He said the strategy was their road map which would be their guide for the next five years, and that they would introspect on their previous successes.

He added that their strategy would be customer oriented and sustainable.

He said they were trading in nine southern African countries and were working on spreading their wings beyond.

He also said they were going to invest in turning their produce into finished products, adding that it would enable them to create employment for more across the country. ENDS