SEZA impresses Gambian delegation
A delegation of Members of Parliament from Gambia has lauded the rigorous oversight mechanisms imposed on the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) by the government of Botswana; saying they will ensure accountability, fiscal prudence and efficiency in the Authority’s operations. Speaking on the sidelines of an interactive session between the SEZA executive and Gambian Parliamentary delegation , they explained that they had chosen to benchmark with Botswana as they believed it has solid governance structures and citizen focused procurement priorities that demand transparency and accountability.
“We came here to benchmark on international best practice, transparency and accountability in the delivery of services by state owned enterprises. We are also interested in the role of the state as a shareholder in SOEs,” said Lamin J. Sanneh, Chairperson and Head of the Gambian Delegation. When addressing the delegation, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lonely Mogara explained that the SEZ Act of 2015 provided for the establishment of SEZA and mandated it to establish, develop and manage SEZs in Botswana. He added that SEZA is obliged under Sections 5 of the SEZ Act to acquire and develop land; develop primary infrastructure; determine priority sectors to be promoted in a particular SEZ and approve specific financing requirements for the development of SEZs.
“The Authority operates under the supervision of the Board of Directors, which may also set up committees to oversee specific functions such as human resources, finance, investment and infrastructure,” said Mogara. The Board is also responsible for directing SEZA’s strategic direction, approving annual budgets and business plans, reviewing the performance of the CEO and approving the acquisition and disposal of property.
For her part, SEZA Legal Director & Company Secretary, Tapiwa Masie explained that certain agencies within the wider operations of government also have oversight over SEZA, especially because its operations cut across various departments and parastatals.
She gave an example of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), which empowers the SEZA CEO to approve all procurement. SEZA also accounts to the Botswana Accountancy Oversight Authority (BAOA), an independent oversight body of the accounting and auditing profession which also regulates the reporting of financial matters of public interest entities and the corporate sector. “Government enforces the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act through the Ethics Directorate; and demands declaration and monitoring of interests, income, assets and liabilities of certain persons within SEZA for purposes of preventing and detecting corruption,” said Masie. She added that SEZA is required to comply with the statutory requirements of these agencies, failing which it may incur penalties.
The Authority also reports to the Government of Botswana as the sole shareholder. According to Masie, the relationship is governed by a shareholder compact signed by the Board Chairperson and Minister of Trade and Industry. SEZA is also compelled to appear before Parliament, respond to Parliamentary questions and implement adopted Parliamentary motions.