The government of Botswana has paid special attention to information and communications technology (ICT) matters in its 2008/9 budget, delivered to that country`s national assembly yesterday.
In a speech delivered by that country`s minister of finance and development planning, Baledzi Gaolathe, ICT was identified as "an important vehicle for economic development" in Botswana.
Among the key developments in the ICT arena highlighted by Gaolathe was the acquisition of land to create a Botswana Innovation Hub. "The hub will act as catalyst to enhance Botswana`s ability to compete globally in the ICT arena," said Gaolathe. "The project is to start in 2008 for completion in 2010."
Gaolathe also said the Botswana government plans to sign international ICT connectivity infrastructure agreements in the year to come, with the aim of connecting to Africa`s major Internet routes.
"In addition, the national high-capacity broadband telecommunications backbone ring infrastructure will be completed once the more than 200km TransKalahari fibre-optic project is completed by the end of April 2008," said Gaolathe.
"Once all these projects are operational, Botswana will have a fully resilient core ICT backbone connecting to the rest of the world, which matches the best of the world."
Money matters
ICT projects in Botswana fall under the jurisdiction of the ministry of science and technology. In the 2007/8 budget, the ministry had been allocated 315.7 million pula (about R369.5 million), which translates to 3.7% of the country`s development budget.
Three initiatives, namely the Development of Information and Broadcasting project, the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Finances project, and the Science and Technology Research Institutions project, enjoy 84% of this budget. International connectivity, as well as the other initiatives highlighted by Gaolathe, fall under the scope of these three projects.
On the whole, Botswana`s economic growth rate was 6.2% in 2006/7. Mining remains the biggest contributor to the country`s gross domestic product, although this sector only grew at a rate of 5.2% in the 2006/7 financial year. Inflation in the same financial year was down to 7.1%, from 11.6% in the 2005/6 financial year.
The 2006/7 financial year saw a final surplus of 7.66 billion pula (about R8.95 billion). This was more than anticipated due to additional revenue of more than R600 million pula (about R702.3 million), as well as under-spending in the development and recurrent budgets.
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