Air and Road Transport in Botswana

In this report we make an assessment of the transport sector in Botswana by analyzing policy and performance in the air and road transport sectors. The study had several other objectives among which was to identify reform needs for the two sectors, facilitate ease of comparison among SADC countries and assist policy makers identify possible areas for liberalization and harmonization of regional transport policies and strategies.
Among the several conclusions reached in the report is that the air transport sector is more tightly regulated than the road transport sector is. Air Botswana has finally become profitable. This makes the corporation well placed for good performance once it is privatized in 2003.Government responses to changes in transport technology and global trading regimes do occur, albeit at a slower pace as compared to the various challenges facing the industry. Some regulatory entities lag behind in terms of organizational capacity for their increased roles coming with increased liberalization. As pertains to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), it will make more sense for Botswana to make commitments in the air transport sector at a multilateral level. However, the country will stand to benefit more by concentrating on regional integration agreements when it comes to road transport since for reasons of physical proximity and economic interdependence it makes more sense to commit to regional integration agreements in road transport.