Botswana private enterprise development

The Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry, and Manpower (BOCCIM), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI), and the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) will implement the project. Efforts to improve the policy environment for private enterprises will focus on assistance to BOCCIM (the country"s leading business association) and MCI. (1) The project will strengthen BOCCIM"s role in the policymaking process; it will also support policy workshops for BOCCIM members as well as national-level policy conferences based on the Francistown 1988 model. In addition, three long-term advisors will be assigned to BOCCIM (in training, policy, and management), and a declining share of the association"s operational expenses will be funded. (2) MCI"s Department of Industrial Affairs will be provided with a long-term advisor to help conduct policy analyses and restructure the MCI Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (TIPA). The project will also finance study tours for MCI and BOCCIM staff and up to 20 M.A."s in business management and related areas for policy staff from MCI, other ministries, BOCCIM, and other private entities. The project will develop the management and business skills of entrepreneurs (with a focus -- though not exclusively so -- on micro- to medium-sized businesses) by strengthening and expanding BOCCIM"s Outreach (general business advisory), B-MAP (assistance to new firms), and Small Business Division programs. The Peace Corps will assist in these efforts. Training will be in four categories: (1) local courses for over 7,000 managers and entrepreneurs in firms ranging from micro to large ; (2) pre- production training and onsite management consultancies; (3) short-term international (mainly U.S.) academic training; and (4) consultancies by International Executive Service Corps volunteers. Investment promotion activities will be in three areas. (1) The project will channel support, primarily through BOCCIM and the BDC, to identify potential foreign investors, including those interested in the World-Bank funded Selebi-Phikwe Free Trade Zone. To this end, the project will assign two long-term advisors to assist BDC in new project development, fund business linkage trips between Botswana and the United States and promotional activities, and hole staff development seminars and workshops for BOCCIM, BDC, and MCI. (2) The project will also undertake a wide range of activities to support investment in high priority areas such as technological manufacturing and industries with export potential. These efforts will include, inter alia, formulating policy recommendations, supporting the mobilization of venture capital, and supporting a study of the export potential of Botswana-based industries. (3) Finally, the project will facilitate access to credit for Batswana-owned firms. Overall, the project will help to establish 360 new Batswana-owned enterprises, expand 500 Batswana-owned enterprises, and establish ten joint ventures with foreign investors.