Business Botswana Chief Executive Officer, Dr Racious Moatshe says their transition from BOCCIM to Business Botswana (BB) which started last year is going well. Moatshe said the purpose of the transition was meant to align the new brand with the current restructuring process of forming the organisation into an Apex body.
The transition which is currently ongoing is being done in partnerships with the Belgian & Parish chamber of Commerce. Speaking at the BB corporate identity launch last week Wednesday, Moatshe said through the Apex model BB aims to represent all businesses through the new structure as opposed to the current direct membership base. He stated that it entails representation through regional and local structures such as formation of regional chambers.
“These chambers will be empowered to participate in the local economic development programs such as capacity building of members especially SMMEs and other special groups such as youth,” said Dr Moatshe.
He also spoke of clustering large, medium and small associations saying lower level associations will be strengthened to occupy a central role within the economic space at national, regional and local levels countrywide.
Dr Moatshe posited that the transition into an Apex body presents a change agenda: “These milestones are being undertaken concurrently and we anticipate that the implementation process will effect in 2017 and prior to that we hope subject to the engagement of our key stakeholders, we would have piloted some initiatives.”
For his part BB President Leta Mosienyane said over the past 45 years, BB has been the leading voice for private sector development in the country and has contributed to socio-economic wellbeing of businesses through lobbying government on various issues of concern that impede the growth of the private sector.
“Some of the achievements include the introduction of E-Government. Through our intervention BURS launched electronic filing of VAT returns in January 2014,” said Mosienyane.
Mosienyane also stated that BB was key in the establishment of the National Business Conference (NBC) which is a private public Sector forum facilitating ease of doing business in Botswana as well as establishment and institutionalisation of the High Level Consultative Council (HLCC).
“Botswana government is an important stakeholder in the development of the private sector and we are confident that the open dialogue policy with ministeries will continue to give us support to achieve our objective to transform the private sector as an engine of growth,” said Mosienyane.
