SPEDU mull over shopping malls� proposals
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday September 26, 2014 14:52
According to SPEDU’s marketing and communications manager, Kenneth Boikhutshwane, the two investors have reached an agreement with anchor-tenants. He said the proposals are good and each depicts unique elements.
He appeared positive that Selebi-Phikwe has enough finances, space and people with power, to develop and sustain the malls.
“Land is available for these projects. We have our own allocation team that makes assessments and recommendations for direct allocation to facilitate and speed up the process,” he said. Boikhutshwane added that SPEDU would be looking at the proposals in the next three weeks.
“These developments would undoubtedly leverage competitive advantage of the town of Selebi-Phikwe and attract investors hence economic development,” he said.
SPEDU has seen a lot of interest from investors who want to set up enterprises in Selebi-Phikwe. Three investors have already shown interest in utilising Selebi-Phikwe as taxi service airlines.
“That is what we want to promote so that we have airlines like in Maun and Kasane once upgrading of the airport is complete,” he said.
He said one investor already has a fleet and is ready to operate. He added that a pre-feasibility study on the upgrading of the airport is ongoing and will be completed next year.
Meanwhile, the timelines for the horticultural processing and packaging plant that was planned for August this year will be revised.
Boikhutshwane said the project would be delayed by about two months. He said machinery for the plant was supposed to arrive this month.
The processing plant that was financed to the tune of P6 million by the Office of the President under the Poverty Eradication Programme is expected to address the challenges of increased production due to already existing market and ultimately reducing wastage levels at the farms.
He said that the over P110 million Platjan Bridge project is well on track. He also said the project schedule has been released. The project will be completed after 17 months.
Motloutse farm electrification project is also on track and SPEDU is awaiting Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to start working as the Ministry of Agriculture has given the project the green light.
Boikhutshwane also stated that the project to refurbish Selebi-Phikwe-Sefhophe-Martins Drift road is expected to go for re-tendering. This was after the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) recalled the initial tender award.
Other projects on track include Letsibogo and Thune dams infrastructural development that SPEDU is doing together with Botswana Tourism Organisation. Pula Steel project and the mine museum project are also well on track.
He noted that they would need to go for benchmarking for the mine museum in Germany or the United States of America.