• Country’s ranking and competitiveness will go up
A web-based platform, the Botswana Trade Portal, which will be a repository of all cross-border trade information was recently launched by the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) in partnership with the World Bank which funded it to the tune of US$600 000 (P7 million).
Speaking at the official launch of the Botswana Trade Portal, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Sadique Kebonang, indicated that its objectives were to make it easier for traders and investors to understand and comply with regulatory requirements associated with exporting and importing.
It will also help the country to fully comply with its international obligations at par with the World Trade Organisation (WHO).
He added that the entity will contribute significantly to trade facilitation, not only in terms of increased transparency and predictability of conducting trade across borders, but will also reduce the time taken to import, export and clear goods coming in and going out of Botswana.
“With information readily available, clear instructions and flow-charts on how to export and import, traders should find it quicker and easier to be compliant and discharge all formalities with less time consuming interactions,” he said.
He added that time constraints continue to affect the country’s rankings and competiveness when it came to cross-border trading and the trade portal will greatly improve this anomaly.
The absence of timely and accurate statutory information to the business community makes it difficult to become a globally competitive player in the overall share of trade in the world.
“Closing the information gap on trade is a key determinant for success, and this is what the Botswana Trade Portal is all about,” he stressed.
Senior Economist at the World Bank Richard Record indicated that it was their mandate to help countries improve trade facilitation, making it faster, easier, simpler and less costly for the private sector to move goods from one side of the border to the other.
He added that with the open and interconnected world economy, it was crucial for countries, including Botswana, to constantly work towards improving competitiveness and making it easier for the private sector to conduct business.
“Making all of Botswana’s regulatory requirements on importing and exporting available to the private sector and easily accessible in a transparent format through the Botswana Trade Portal will be a key step to simpler and faster forms of trade,” he added.
Letsebe Sejoe, the Chief Executive of BITC, said their mandate was to develop and deliver a functioning trade portal that would improve the predictability, transparency and efficiencies around the processes of exportation and importation of goods to Botswana.
The portal is not an interactive website but will provide information on tariffs, measures and procedures of exporting and importing. Through the portal traders will be able to download forms and access relevant information at their convenience.