Peter Griffiths, AfricaNews reporter in Johannesburg, South Africa
The World Bank has given a $186 million (¤123 million) loan to Botswana to improve its transportation sector that would link the landlocked country to its neighbours.
The Botswana government has pledged to provide an additional $159 million (¤105 million) to boost the project. The OPEC fund for international development has also pledged $40 million (¤26 million).
The funding would go towards improving transport networks between Botswana and neighbouring Namibia, South Africa, Zambia. Zambia is also landlocked, but Namibia offers links to Walvis Bay port via the Trans Kalahari Highway and South Africa links to both Maputo and Durban. Durban is Africa’s busiest container port.
World Bank transport economist Supee Teravaninthorn believes Botswana’s investment in transport infrastructure would enable it to better take part in the regional and global economies, while at the same time creating capacity to reduce its dependency on diamonds.
“The proposed project aims to provide the necessary capacity building and the infrastructure improvement which will, in turn, increase its competitive edge required for opening up the opportunity for export diversification,” said Teravaninthorn.
The seven to 10 year project would see significant improvements to road and rail links, however it is not clear what exactly would be covered within the scope of the project.
Recently a World Bank report noted that Africa needed to spend $93 billion per year over the next decade on energy, transport, water and technology to deal with the poor quality of infrastructure on the continent.
"Muammar al-Gaddafi is a mad man"08:05
Namibia: Opposition snub swearing-in ceremony08:00
Nigerian asylum seeker dies in Switzerland19/03
Sudan: Kidnapped Red Cross worker freed19/03
Zambia: 11 die of cholera19/03
Uganda: African journalists reject press bill19/03
Togo: Gnassingbe confirmed as president19/03
Gambia: 10 coup plotters charged19/03
Ethiopia: Zenawi threatens to jam VOA signal19/03
Zambia: Genital cocaine trafficker jailed18/03
Uganda: LRA rebels kill 19 in DRC18/03
Cameroon, Turkey to diversify cooperation18/03
WC 2010: Star-studded artists lined up18/03
About 600 Rwanda rebels captured in DRC18/03