The Voice (Francistown)
Gontse Gareebine
18 March 2008
Francistwon — The focal point of local investment and export promotion activities BEDIA (Botswana Export Development & Investment Authority) on Tuesday converged with various stakeholders at the Phakalane Golf Estates at a conference that aimed to look specifically into Investor Facilitation and One Stop Presentation.
"As BEDIA, we have been growing steadily over the years. But there have been challenges along the way that called for this very convention. BEDIA works with different ministries, meaning that sometimes we find ourselves stuck when it comes to making certain decisions that are out of our jurisdiction, in order to appropriately deal with investors. This calls for legislation change so that BEDIA can be placed in a better position to carry out business," chief executive officer of BEDIA, Dorcas Makgato-Malesu said.
The conference, which was attended by government permanent secretaries, utility groups such as Botswana Power Corporation, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation, Botswana Telecommunications Authority and International Investment Promotional Agencies from Egypt and Malaysia, focused on the advantages of having BEDIA as a One Stop Shop for investors, both local and foreign alike, where every investor's needs can be carried out under one roof. Egypt and Malaysia, which are both ahead in luring investors, have organisations along the lines of BEDIA that are fully independent - whether in dealing with licensing, land allocation and immigration procedures to mention but a few. Egypt's representative and Head of Cairo's One Stop Investment Shop General Authority of Investment & Free Zones (GAFI), Hassan Fahmy, said it is advantageous to be able to make all necessary decisions when it comes to dealing with potential investors without having to run from one ministry to the other. "It is efficient to run as an independent body as time is saved and investors satisfactions met.
Malaysia's Mohamed Nor, who is the Senior Deputy Director of Domestic Investment Promotion Division/Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), a one stop shop for investors said, "We at MIDA do a lot under one roof and this includes expatriate post, licensing, monitoring, as well as implementing and coordinating advisory services. We have Foreign Direct Investment promotion strategies with very transparent policies. The same strategies can work here."
BEDIA's Investor Services Department Manager, Ontiretse Monagen, said that something needs to be done as BEDIA is not performing at the pace it wants to be at because of depending on various departments. "We need to take drastic steps so that we become fast-paced, if not, at least middle-paced. We can do better as long as we redirect our way forward. " Monagen said.
Permanent Secretary under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, under which BEDIA is, Banny Molosiwa, suggested that maybe BEDIA could perform smoothly if it could operate under the Office of the President.
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