06 Mar 2024

Having started from a more humble beginnings than Botswana, Estonia President Mr Alar Karis is confident of Botswana’s potential to harness technology to improve its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Speaking during his visit to Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) on Wednesday, he said that in the 1990s, Estonia found itself at crossroads, facing a daunting task of rebuilding its economy and charting a path towards prosperity in a rapidly changing world.

“By then, Estonian’s GDP per capita was less than half of Botswana’s level in the early 1990s.

This illustrates well our starting position,” he said.

He said despite all that, Estonia made a strategic decision, and succeeded, in embracing the digital revolution as a catalyst for change.

He said with limited natural resources and a relatively small domestic market, the country recognized that its greatest asset laid in its people through a capacity to innovate.

“By investing in technology and education, Estonia laid the groundwork for a digital economy that would propel it to a global stage. Today digitalization allows us to provide better services,” he said.

He said, Estonia’s tax system had been recognised as the best in the world for several years in a row not just because of low tax rates, but a simplified system thanks to the use of digital solutions. Mr Karis said the wide use of digital services made it easy to run business in Estonia from anywhere across the world.

With that background, he said he was therefore confident in the potential of Botswana to similarly succeed in a technology driven economy, adding that Estonia was willing to assist the springboard.

“Estonian companies stand ready to share their knowledge and expertise with Botswana, creating a partnership in areas such as e-governance solutions to cyber security,” he said. He said Estonian firms offered a wealth of experience and innovation that could help Botswana leapfrog traditional barriers and embrace digital future.

“Imagine a Botswana where citizens can access government services online, where businesses can thrive and create a digital ecosystem and where innovation and entrepreneurship flourish,” he said.

Mr Karis therefore encouraged the two countries to seize the opportunity to build bridges and foster partnerships to unlock a full potential of a digital requirement.

“Together we can create a brighter future for both Estonia and Botswana where innovation knows no bounds and opportunity knows no limits,” he said. Ends