The Private Sector Development Program (PSDP) was recently transferred to Business Botswana (formerly BOCCIM) from the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE).
The PSDP is a partnership between the Government of Botswana, the European Union (EU) through the European Commission and the CDE to implement the Private Sector Development Strategy (PSDS) that was launched in 2007. Speaking at the official launch of the transfer of the PSDP to Business Botswana, Business Botswana CEO Maria Machailo-Ellis indicated that PSDP was launched in May 2013 and was to run for three years and since its inception it has achieved a number of milestones including building the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the restructuring of Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) into an apex body.
Ambassador, Delegation of the EU to the Republic of Botswana and SADC, Alexander Baum, stated that he is aware that the private sector is an important corner stone in the government’s drive to sustain economic growth. “I am happy that through dialogue with the Government and other key stakeholders we found an appropriate solution, which is to use Business Botswana as the implementing agency to drive the program to its completion”, Baum added.
Since the inception of the PSDP the CDE has been partnering with BOCCIM, now Business Botswana, in implementation of the program. “With the mandate of the CDE coming to an end, we have been presented with the first ever opportunity of transferring the program to a local organization that represents the Botswana private sector – Business Botswana”, Sid Boubekeur Head of CDE Regional Office for Southern Africa stated. “Today, the PSDP, which is a healthy CDE child, reached the adolescent phase. Business Botswana will take this adolescent to reach a mature phase and to be a reference of support to the private sector in the region and in Southern Africa”, he added.
EU and Business Botswana signed a Grant Agreement for €1,128 million to enable Business Botswana to implement the remaining activities and responsibilities of the PSDP. “The grant will be implemented over 13 months under the management of a coordinating unit that has been transferred from the CDE”, Baum indicated.
Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Sadique Kebonang indicated that since the inception of the PSDP tremendous strides have been achieved in assisting the SMEs in terms of competitiveness, assistance with finance and markets. He stated that initially the program was to run for a period of 3 years coming to an end in March 2016. With the impending closure of the CDE offices, and with Business Botswana taking over the implementation, the program has been extended to run until December 2016 under the new agreement. “I trust that Business Botswana, as the custodian of the PSDS, has put in place the necessary expertise to ensure the implementation of the program and therefore its success”, Kebonang added.
The Business Botswana CEO lobbied for the extension of the program beyond December 2016, adding, “Botswana is a shining example amongst its counter parts in the Caribbean, African and Pacific countries as to how government and the private sector can work together.” She concluded by recommending that both the government and EU work on a continuing program for the future.