04 Sep 2025

Government has taken a significant step towards achieving its economic diversification goals and has selected 200 projects for the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP)’s economic laboratories.

Addressing the BTEP laboratories leadership syndication in Gaborone on September 3, Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe said the 200 projects were selected from a pool of 6 925 proposals submitted by a diverse group of contributors, including citizens, international partners and innovators.

Mr Gaolathe highlighted that the overwhelming number of submissions reflected the nation’s strong desire for a high-income Botswana that was digitally-enabled, export-driven and economically diversified.

“This is evidence that the energy for change exists,” he said.

He also indicated that the economic laboratories were the third of four phases in the BETP and over four weeks, cross-sector teams would collaborate to refine the projects for implementation and address any potential obstacles.

He added that the fourth and final phase of the BETP would involve creating a national roadmap for the finalised projects, complete with key performance indicators, timelines and accountability structures.

On one hand, the Vice President acknowledged the disappointment of those whose projects were not selected, explaining that the programme had to make difficult choices.

“We acknowledge that some people have been grieved and have raised concerns that their projects should have been taken further. We understand these frustrations, but the labs required us to make difficult choices, focusing on projects with the highest impact, those that are execution-ready and those that do not place unsustainable pressure on the fiscus,” he said.

He also explained that the selected projects were prioritised for their high impact, readiness for execution and fiscal sustainability.

Consequently, the Mr Gaolathe assured the public that each project would have a clear implementation plan.

He further emphasised government’s commitment to facilitate and deliver on the initiatives to create lasting impact and new employment opportunities for Batswana.

The Vice President also told the meeting that while the BTEP laboratories were finalised, the National Development Plan (NDP) was also advancing in parallel.

“These two processes are not competing but are complementary. The BETP injects urgency, precision and execution discipline while the NDP provides the long-term vision. Together, they form the twin engines of Botswana’s transformation,” he said.

Participants were also informed that the selected projects would serve as vehicles to deliver on the government’s promise to create jobs for Batswana.

“The current economic challenges present a pivotal opportunity to break from the past and rewrite Botswana’s growth story and ignite a bold new era,” he said. ENDS