Training on Trade Data Analysis in Botswana

The Project at A Glance

Botswana enjoys preferential market access provisions to the world’s major markets through various preferential trade agreements including the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the SACU-EFTA FTA, and the SACUM-UK FTA, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). While these facilitate trade, the openness of Botswana’s economy implies that the country is also exposed to certain exogenous factors that can negatively impact the country’s economic development and welfare.

International Economics Consulting (IEC) Ltd. supported capacity building and development activities at the Botswana Trade Commission (BOTC) as well as of other trade policymakers in Botswana in order to carry out tariff impact analyses using modern trade data analytical tools. The objective of this assignment was to improve the monitoring of national trade performance as well as preparations for trade negotiations.

Our Strategy and Impact

Given the risk that Botswana’s economy can encounter, a proactive trade policy framework should entail a continuous assessment of the benefits arising from trade and the adoption of measures that reduce trade frictions or mitigate any binding constraints to the realization of those benefits. As such, it is incredibly important for policymakers, exporters, and other key trade policy stakeholders in Botswana to have access to detailed, reliable trade data that facilitate informed policy choices, the easy identification of market opportunities and the capacity to develop sound technical argumentation in defence of national trade interests.
The assignment was delivered in two key components namely the development of a training manual and the organisation of training workshops which covered critical areas in trade data analysis. Given that the training was available to select officers and stakeholders, we recommended the Government to ensure that there is a continuous learning culture related to trade data, trade analysis, and other relevant topics. Relevant officials should be encouraged to get involved in more training activities and exchange experiences to strengthen in-depth expertise in their relevant field of work, as well as to improve necessary practical skills. On-the-job training can be a simple yet powerful mechanism to strengthen the institutional capacity and should be put at the heart of all related divisions’ activities.

Our Core Solutions

The private sector encounters many important questions regarding the expected outputs and impact before, during and after the implementation of their projects. This is where International Economics Consulting’s team of experts, using innovative methodologies to collect and analyse data, can assist you in tracking the economic and social aspects of your project. We help our clients maximise efficiency and improve their development objectives and can help establish robust monitoring and evaluation framework through sophisticated real-time dashboards and reporting systems.