Botswana’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi announced this week that the country plans to establish a high-level advisory board to draw investors into its manufacturing industry.

Masisi informed delegates at Botswana's 2nd Local Manufacturing Summit in Gaborone that a new advisory body, the Botswana Economic Development Board, is being set up. 

Chaired by the president, the board aims to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles that may deter potential investors in the manufacturing sector.

“The board will deal with unnecessary barriers for those seeking to do business in Botswana,” said Masisi, highlighting that his administration is dedicated to ensuring that Botswana becomes one of the top destinations for investment.

Furthermore, he stressed that the manufacturing sector has significant growth potential and is crucial to the national economy, as Botswana aims to move from a middle-income status to a high-income economy, Xinhua news agency reports.

“We need to raise productivity levels so that we achieve much more with less. The manufacturing sector has no option but to strive for high levels of production,” the president went on to add.

In addition, Masisi pointed out that manufacturing has driven growth in many economies globally, urging both the private and public sectors to support and advance the sector to enhance economic growth.

“We are duty bound to address these challenges by expanding economic activities,” the president continued, urging the mining sector, a key pillar of the economy, to keep supporting the expansion of the country’s manufacturing sector.