GABORONE, Oct. 5 — Botswana on Thursday launched a project for the airport special economic zone in Gaborone, the country’s capital, which aims to build an eco-industrial park. The zone has been established as a world-class diamond and logistics city with an expected investment of 2 billion pula (about 151 million U.S. dollars), giving impetus to the roll-out of an exercise to diversify Botswana‘s economic and export base, Mokgweetsi Masisi, president of Botswana, said during the launching ceremony. “The promotion of an export-driven economy cannot be achieved without a special economic zone dispensation,” said Masisi, adding that core economic activities will include diamond beneficiation, aerospace, cargo handling and storage, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, specialized automotive and plastic injection molding. According to the president, the zone has been designed as an eco-industrial park, with a green path that will feature native plants, rain gardens, walking trails, and wildlife habitats, demonstrating Botswana‘s commitment to upholding high-quality international standards and aligning with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “We will reduce waste and pollution. We will efficiently share resources and reap economic gains while improving the quality of our environment,” Masisi added.
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