Botswana One Stop Shop Service Centre Digitalisation

As part of the participatory approach implemented by the JCIC programme, BITC hosted the 25 October 2023 a Task Force meeting with the key stakeholders for discussing on how to build a modern One Stop Shop Centre in Botswana through the user-centric approach and based on synergic collaboration between the concerned programme partners.  The task force meeting was attended by the key institutions concerned by BOSSC digitalisation project: the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) - Department of Business Services (DBS), Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Digital Transformation Coordination Office (DTCO), Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB), Botswana Tourism organisation (BTO) and Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC).

The meeting was moderated by Dr. Sid Boubekeur, Team Leader of the JCIC project. Mr. Obert Yuyi, BITC Executive Director Business Facilitation indicated that BOSSC digitalisation is coming on the right time and as part of the government's willingness to accelerate the digitalisation process in all areas of the economy. M. Guibert Hairson, JCIC Senior Expert on e. Governance and digitalisation introduced the user centric approach appropriate for BOSC digitalisation project. The Senior Expert's presentation explained why this approach constitutes a modern solution through the ‘’journey’’ that national and international investors must follow for acquiring their licenses in the best delay and lower cost. The constructive exchanges with the participants allowed them to understand and appreciate the methods and different building blocks to achieve BOSSC digitalisation.

The presentation clearly showed that, in the constantly changing landscape of the global economy and the continuous transformation of the technologies and processes, there is need to adapt and accelerate the business reforms for creating a sustainable environment for start-ups and SMEs and for attracting national and foreign investors in the priority sectors.

A comprehensive resolution was taken during the Task Force meeting: the necessity to establish an efficient management structure of BOSSC digitalisation initiative. Following the discussion, the participants agreed on the following implementation arrangement of the project:

• MTI DBS:  Supervisory Institution
• BITC:  Executive Agency
• DTCO: Implementing Agency
• Partners: HATAB, BTO
• Monitoring and evaluation: BNPC

JCIC Team leader emphasis that the success of BOSSC digitalisation is intimately linked to the effort and participation of the Task Force members at all steps to building a world class BOSSC digitalisation platform with respect to data protection. There was consensus on joint ambition to make rapid and significant progress in getting the approach off ground, recognising opportunities for its application to the accommodation tourism sector as pilot with an extension in a second phase to all sectors (mineral, manufacturing and agro industry, textile and leather, services, etc)