MITI/UNCTAD Validation Workshop on National E-commerce Strategy for Botswana

UNCTAD in cooperation with the Government of Botswana organized a Validation Workshop on the National E-commerce Strategy for Botswana.  At the request of Botswana’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), UNCTAD launched an ICT Policy Review (ICTPR) Strategy to assist Botswana in developing its national e-commerce strategy in March 2019.  With the rapid uptake of information and communications technologies (ICTs), growing digitalization in both developed and developing countries, and the catalytic role of new technological innovations in business and consumer markets, global value chains and international trade, e-commerce has been increasingly transforming the global economy, affecting economic growth, competitiveness  and socio-economic development.  The accelerated expansion of e-commerce has been further fueled by the Covid-19 crisis.  In addition to seeking to leverage ICTs and digital technologies to support Covid-19 recovery, the Government of Botswana has long recognized ICTs as enablers of national economic and social development and as a tool for strengthening the country’s competitiveness.  Committed to creating an environment conducive to supporting e-commerce, Botswana has in the past decades invested in and strengthened its ICT sector, established key legal and regulatory measures, and now stands positioned to expand its e-commerce sector. 

The national e-commerce strategy aims to leverage Botswana’s full potential for e-commerce, to boost economic growth and socio-economic gains, diversify the economy, raise Botswana’s competitiveness in the global economy, and support its recovery from the pandemic crisis.  In cooperation with MITI, UNCTAD’s ICTPR Team conducted a comprehensive diagnostic of the current status of e-commerce in Botswana - making use of an integrated framework methodology based on eight key pillar areas (ICT infrastructure and telecom services; payments and financial services; logistics and trade facilitation; legal and regulatory environment; electronic platforms; skills development; awareness-raising; e-procurement) - and leveraged UN inter-agency cooperation and partnership to develop the strategy and establish short, medium and long-term targets and policy recommendations for implementation.  The objective of the validation workshop was to present the ICTPR National E-commerce Strategy for Botswana, to discuss key findings and recommendations, and to validate the strategy report for finalization.  The workshop was attended by key national policymakers and stakeholders in both the public and private sector.  The strategy will support Botswana to achieve its Vision 2036, 11^th National Development Plan, and Sustainable Development Goals.  The technical assistance work was supported by the SADC Trade Facilitation Mechanism funded by the European Union.