Govt moves to eliminate trade barriers
Friday, October 02, 2015
Through a National Enquiry Point (NEP), which was launched in Gaborone this week, the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) will offer the services.
The NEP is a requirement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) under the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreement. Explaining the functions of the enquiry point, BOBS information services manager, Keakantse Chabo said the NEP is crucial to reducing the time and cost of trade, since it offers a single contact point to which requests for information can be made.
While the political shift brings hope for change, it also places immense pressure on the new administration to deliver on its election promises in the face of serious economic challenges.On another level, newly appointed Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe’s grim assessment of the country’s finances adds urgency to the moment. The budget deficit, expected to be P8.7 billion, is now anticipated to be even higher due to underperforming diamond...