The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry through its Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA) arm has identified investors for the envisaged Airport City.
Briefing the media this week, SEZA’s acting CEO, Thatayaone Ndzinge said within the next six months, they would approve investors who will develop the first phase of Airport City situated in the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) zone.
“We are currently finalising the whole process so that these investors can start their projects in the next six months. The availed area for the first phase is the size of the CBD,” he said.
The identified investors are companies from Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia and the US. The companies will be in industries including diamond beneficiation, plastic injection moulding, pharmaceuticals, health, agro-business, aviation, smart city ducting and CCTV.
As part of the first phase, SEZA has also awarded P100 million to Bothakga Burrow for the detailed design, infrastructure development and construction of a 2km-road with five internal junctions and an additional live junction at Airport road. Underground services include water, wastewater, surface water, fibre, power as well as lighting.
“The SSKIA zone covers 800 hectares of land, 80% of which will be occupied by factories, manufacturing and international services, while 20% will mostly be hotels, retail, offices and local services,” Ndzinge highlighted.
SEZA is envisaged to diversify the economic and export base of Botswana into sectors that will continue to grow long after diamonds have run out. At least eight regions including SSKIA and Fairgrounds in Gaborone, as well as Lobatse, Selebi-Phikwe, Pandamatenga, Palapye, Francistown and Tuli Block, have already been identified as potentially viable for SEZs.
SEZA offers both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for investors who invest in their SEZs. Some of the fiscal incentives include 5% corporate tax for the first 10 years, 10% corporate tax thereafter, fast-tracked land allocation, long term renewable land leases, duty-free imports of specialist plant and machinery for manufacturing purposes along with other incentives that were approved by cabinet
Non-fiscal incentives that SEZA offers to investors include support in fast-tracking the issuance of visas, work and residence permits, identifying and introducing investors to service suppliers and many others.
Source: mmegi.bw
