Botswana’s Finance Minister Kenneth Matambo on Saturday hailed China for its promptness in fulfilling pledges of constructing roads and railway lines in the southern African country.
Addressing journalists after touring some developmental infrastructure sites built by Chinese companies in Francistown, Botswana’s second largest city, Matambo said China and Botswana are all-weather friends in development.
Matambo said some Chinese construction technical experts are due in Botswana to assess projects, which are expected to be financed with soft loans by China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has submitted road and rail projects for a possible funding by the CIDCA during his recent state visit to China.
“President Masisi was in China two months ago. And just last week, we signed letters of exchange for preparatory technical survey ceremony … These developments show that China walks her talk with promptness,” he said.
Matambo said Botswana is “blessed” to have a friend and development partner as China, and the infrastructure already built in Botswana is immensely contributing to the country’s economic growth.
“The interchange here (in Francistown) has face lifted our country’s second largest city. It is now attractive to many investors because of the good infrastructure thanks to the Chinese government,” said Matambo.
He said more projects are under consideration, including the construction of roads between Francistown and some northern cities in the country and the Mosetse-Kasane railway line in the northern part of the country.
“Besides infrastructural development, the projects will obviously boost the country’s tourism sector,” he said, adding that most tourists have made complaints about the road condition.
Masisi’s recent visit to China is now bearing fruits, said CIDCA Vice President Zhou Liujun, adding that China-Botswana economic and trade cooperation upholds a win-win principle with a common goal of improving the people’s livelihoods.
