Botswana: Delay to improve airport rulers

Maun – A bidding dispute delayed the improvement of Maun International Airport.

This arose during an engagement meeting when the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Mr. Kabelo Ebineng, responded to comments. Stakeholders from the aviation industry

Some stakeholders complained that it took a long time to upgrade the busiest facility.

They said that a lot needed to be done to ensure that the facility meets attractive and friendly customer expectations, arguing that it should be a priority as it has been budgeted for. Ms. Thato Morule said that it was unfortunate that there was no progress although the project was planned in NDP 9/10.

The airport was supposed to be improved through the phases and so

However, Mr. Ebineng explained that there was a technical delay because the authority of the Botswana Civil Aviation (CAAB) awarded a tender to a certain company and another company appealed the decision and the authority had to

It appreciated that the installation had to be modernized a long time ago, as a result of a deliberate decision of the government to modernize the airport facilities of the country. He agreed that in terms of aircraft movement, Maun Airport was the busiest and the second largest after Cape Town International Airport in the Southern African region, which is the largest airport in the world. where the need to develop the facility. called on stakeholders to cooperate and follow the processes in place adding that it was disturbing to learn that someone had stopped the project.

Stakeholders, he said, should work in teams as they all worked towards national development.

CAAB Director General, Mr. Geoffrey Moshabesha, also appreciated that the facility needed to be developed noting that 8 million P8 had been set aside.

He stated that the funding was sufficient to implement the project.

Regarding the outsourcing of some projects such as Parking, Mr. Moshabesha explained that they engaged a certain company to undertake the project, but that it was not working at their satisfaction and that this resulted in the expulsion of the company.

Source: BOPA