Background: The Eximius Centre organised a seminar on the captioned subject at Bangalore, on September 14, 2001. The principal objective of the seminar was to educate the participants on the advantages of doing business with Botswana, and how it could generate more business prospects with other South African markets. The seminar was organised during the visit of a delegation from Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA). The delegation was headed by Mr. Kisto Mokila, Vice Chairman, BEDIA. The other members of the delegation were: Mr. Chand Bhadain, CEO, BEDIA, Mr. T Monyasti, General Manager, National Development Bank, Botswana, Mr. I Mogara, Manager, IT, BEDIA, Mr. B Tibone, Manager (India Desk) BEDIA, and Dr. J S Juneja, BEDIA representative in India.

Faculty: The seminar was addressed by Mr. Kisto Mokila, Vice Chairman, BEDIA, Mr. Chand Bhadain, CEO, BEDIA and Dr. J S Juneja, BEDIA Representative in India. Their presentations were followed by an audio-visual on the opportunities offered by Botswana and the services offered by BEDIA. The delegation also had one-to-one business meetings with the Indian business community.

Target Sectors: The targeted sectors include IT & Software, Jewellery, Diamond Polishing, Processing of Gems, Apparel and Garments, Textile Spinning and Weaving, Pharmaceuticals, Printing and Publishing, Plastic Products, Spectacle frames and lenses, Leather tannery, Leather products, Engineering goods, Auto-components, Ceramic and Sanitary items etc.

Summary of Proceedings: Mr. Kisto Mokila, Vice Chairman, BEDIA made a presentation on the economic and business climate of Botswana. He also discussed the various economic indicators on Botswana published by international organisations, proving Botswana's economy as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Mr. Mokila's presentation also covered important reasons to invest in Botswana which include: corporate tax of only 15 percent for manufacturing enterprises, freedom to repatriate profits and dividends, congenial fiscal and monetary policies supporting industrial investment, and favourable political and social climate. Participants were also informed about the advantages of Botswana's associate membership in the European Union, its membership in Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The presentation of Mr Chand Bhadain, CEO, BEDIA covered the services offered by Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA). He spoke about BEDIA's efforts to promote investment in Botswana, with special emphasis on export oriented manufacture. Other areas of activity for BEDIA are: diversification of industrial base, industrialisation of Botswana by way of offering facilitation and administrative services, and promotion of technical collaborations and exports. Emphasis is being laid on the diversification of the industrial base of Botswana, away from the mineral sector. The introduction of new production techniques and transfer of technology are important considerations, while manufactured products can be based both on imported raw materials for further transformation, or on raw materials available locally.

Mr. T Monyasti, General Manager, National Development Bank, Botswana, Mr. I Mogara, Manager, IT, BEDIA, Mr. B Tibone, Manager (India Desk) BEDIA, and Dr. J S Juneja, BEDIA Representative in India held one-to-one business meetings with the participants.