Energy summit discusses transformation
Botswana Transport and Energy Summit and Expo 2023 that started yesterday and ends today, (Wednesday) seeks to address all modes of transport - road, rail, air, sea or maritime transportation in totality.
This Summit comes after Botswana and the rest of the globe experienced the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic and later the impacts of the Ukraine-Russia war which have largely affected not only supply and prices of fuel world-wide but also the economies of the various countries around the globe.
Acting Minister of Minerals and Energy, Thulaganyo Segokgo said that as the country intensifies its programmes aimed at achieving Vision 2036, the success of the Reset Agenda hinges on aggressive national economic development.
“Transport and energy are the main drivers of the economy across the world as they facilitate trade and commerce as well as other business enterprising initiatives which in turn result in increased employment creation, education, healthcare, recreation and other key services,” he said.
One of the biggest challenges is how to plan, design and mobilise investment required for successful delivery of a vibrant transport system for the country.
Leaders were challenged to rethink their business strategies and come up with more transformative and innovative solutions that can bridge the gap between economic challenges currently being faced and the need to create more employment opportunities.
The summit was held under the theme, 'Leveraging Transport and Energy Capabilities to Transform Botswana Economy.'
Chief Executive Officer at Progressive Institute, Mmoloki Mmolotsi said that economic development requires critical need for sustainable supply of all forms of Energy in a manner that proactively protects the climate, slows
down and arrests climate change and protects the environment for the future.
“The Government of Botswana crafted the National Energy Policy whose objective is to guide the management and development of Botswana’s energy sector in order to attain energy self-sufficiency and increased security of supply,” he said, emphasising that the Energy dimension of the Transport and Energy Summit seeks to explore the potential and capacity of the diverse forms of Energy to sustain Botswana’s economic development.
Segokgo added that the goal of the Summit was to bring together key stakeholders from government, private sectors, international organisations and civil society to engage in a dialogue that will focus on and emphasise the need for integrated transport and energy planning.