CEO explains mandate Botswana Trade Commission (BOTC) was established for the purpose of investigating and determining the impact of tariffs in Botswana’s exports and imports before providing any recommendations regarding any tariff change. The Commission CEO Mphoeng Tamasiga clarified to the private sector on their mandate during the Business Botswana Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday. BOTC was formed through an Act of Parliament in 2013 on the backdrop of the SACU Agreement of 2002 which requires SACU member states to set up national bodies to receive requests for tariff changes. The Commission, Tamasiga explained, makes assessments taking into consideration the impact of the proposed changes on industry competitiveness in regional and international markets and Botswana’s commitments under various regional and multilateral trade agreements to which Botswana is a member. Some of these trade agreements are SACU, SADC EU Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC EU EPA) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). “In this regard, the extent to which tariff amendments provide protection to the Botswana manufacturing sector against competing imports as well as contributions to reduction in costs of production to local industry are important considerations,” said BOTC CEO. Part of BOTC’s work is also to investigate allegations of dumping,…