Botswana positions for contiuned development growth
Botswana has started to reposition herself for continued development growth, starting with review of the constitution, institutional reforms and reforming the planning process.
These according to the Transitional National Development Plan (2023/24 – 2024/25), will be given further impetus by the Reset Agenda and the transformative 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
The TNDP = is expected to be tabled in Parliament for approval.
The Reset Agenda aims at addressing social and economic developmental issues with five priority areas, which include: Saving Botswana’s population from COVID-19: through the implementation of life saving programmes that include a successful and timely vaccination programme; Alignment of Botswana Government implementation machinery: which will come with significant reforms in the public service; Digitalisation: that facilitates the delivery of services to citizens and the potential to unlock and enable high productivity.
The Reset Agenda will also address Value Chain Development that unlocks opportunities for new, high-growth enterprises with focus on minerals, tourism, food, and education and identification of new sectors in the global export product space which could grow in Botswana, resulting in significant job creation for youth while also driving much-needed export diversification and a marked increase in international trade.
The Mind-set Change which comes with developing capacity for entrepreneurship, eliminating a latent inferiority complex, and implementing government and strategic reforms that put citizen economic inclusion at the centre of economic development initiatives.
It is anticipated that this mind-set change will result in self-actualisation among citizens.
The Government has further reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development (UNSDG) and all its 17 goals whose underlying principle is to transform the world, leaving no one behind.
The TNDP explains that this commitment implies that government will endeavour to end poverty and hunger; reduce morbidity, inequality and discrimination against women and girls; address climate change issues, including the measures to protect the environment; as well as ensure that
all people enjoy peace and prosperity, among others.
This, according to government is of critical importance in the current national development planning process. It is reported in the TNDP that the three dimensions of the SDGs, that is, the economic, social and environmental factors, and their targets, must therefore transcend the Transitional and future National Development Plans for the country, to ensure sustainable development and prosperity for all by 2036.
“Government is aware that there is limited growth and lack of traction for export led development and diversification. The past achievements will not necessarily translate into future successes, unless the economy is transformed across the board.
“Competitive pressures from globalisation and regional developmental dynamics continue to pose challenges to the economy. In order to attain the minimum 5.5 percent annual average GDP growth rate required over the next 14 years to 2036, it is necessary to immediately embark on a number of value creating imperatives,” reads the TNDP.
These imperatives are said to be a function of, or a reflection of past failures, which have resulted in huge opportunity costs that must be avoided.