Moepeng urges Int. companies to transfer skills to citizen companies

Government continues to appreciate services offered by international companies though preference is given to citizens, says Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communications Isaac Moepeng.

He said government is required to develop citizen companies which at times exclude foreign companies. “As a ministry we know that we still need your international expertise and experience to help us develop this country. We are quite happy that this did not dampen your spirit but instead you have seen this as a call to help in developing the local small engineering consultants. 

“I am told you were working with the likes of G4 Consulting, Pego, NMA, Pula, and Architects Botswana during the designs and construction supervision of the airports,” he said this week during the launch and rebranding of HaskoningDHV Botswana in Gaborone.

According to Moepeng, this is a clear sign of a company committed to the development of citizen companies. He expressed appreciation that the company has also localised the position of the country director because this shows the company’s commitment to the development of the citizens of this country. 

He revealed that HaskoningDHV Botswana, through joint ventures, partnerships and on its own has played a key engineering role in several development projects in Botswana, among others being the engineering designs and project supervision for the development of the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, Maun International Airport, Tshele Hills Road Over Rail Bridge project, the on-going Tshele Hills Petroleum storage facilities, and the design and construction supervision of the Nyerere Road and North-ring Road in Gaborone.

“As one of the major consumers of the services provided by the consulting industry in this country my ministry will keep supporting the industry and in the same token would appreciate if the industry can also continue to support us to develop this country. We are partners therefore our survival depends on the support we give each other. 

“We must be open to each other so that we can address the challenges that the industry, including ourselves, are facing. You have been in this country for a very long time. You have shown commitment to stay in the game. We would like to encourage you to stay in this country and be part of its development journey,” noted deputy PS.

HaskoningDHV Botswana Director Monthusi Kgano stated that SSI Botswana (Pty) Ltd commenced operations in Botswana in 1979 as a partnership called Stewart Scott International. Subsequently in 2006 the partnership was converted into a private limited company, now wholly owned by Royal HaskoningDHV, said Kgano.

He pointed out that the original company was founded in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1922 named after its founding fathers George Stewart, a specialist in water cycle and municipal services projects and Frederick Scott, who was a transport and structural services specialist. 

Kgano said HaskoningDHV is a multidisciplinary consulting engineering company which has four business lines - Transport and Planning, including transportation planning for roads, railways, bridges; Maritime and Aviation; Water Technology and Waste Water Treatment and Buildings and Industry, including Mining - under which all the different disciplines fall. 

The director stated that as a company, they are proud of their history in Botswana and still believe that they have a role to play in developing the country. He pointed out that they have undertaken some landmark projects in Botswana that they are proud of. 

“We have shown commitment to this country and its citizenry by continuously employing and developing Batswana Engineers. Our commitment is shown by our current staff complement which is 100 percent Batswana. As an international company we continue to get assistance from our experienced engineers and colleagues from our other offices to enhance our performance here in Botswana.  

“We are in a position to source specialists of every kind from within the global group as the need arises, and are capable, through our local staff of adapting these appropriately to the situation within our country,” Kgano said.