http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/4 This research focus area addresses development issues from the perspective of the firms and industries that will be integral to the transformation of the economy. The theme has various components, including policy (sectoral development policies, competition, privatization etc.) as well as issues around regulation and the business environment. It also includes trade policy and regional integration. The theme also encompasses specialized industry analysis, e.g. of value chains in agriculture and tourism, although the specific industry focus may change over time. This focus area has three research themes: Trade and regional integration; Economic Sectors; and Productivity, Competitiveness and Innovation. Sat, 20 Jun 2026 11:59:07 GMT 2026-06-20T11:59:07Z http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/bitstream/id/9192ce8f-93c7-4207-af60-2b9fc41386bd/Trade.jpg http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/4 http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/174 Tobacco Control in Botswana Gaetsewe, Tshepiso; Khanie, Goitseone Botswana has one of the highest adult tobacco-use rates in the WHO African Region. Despite measures and policies put in place to control tobacco consumption, there is still a widespread use of tobacco products in the country. This is because demand for tobacco and tobacco products is mostly affected by changes in tobacco prices and related taxes. This study therefore seeks to analyse the responsiveness of cigarette demand to price changes in Botswana. This is done by estimating the conditional price elasticity of cigarette demand using Deaton’s model and the Botswana Multi-Topic Household Survey (BMTHS) data of 2015/16. The cigarette price elasticity of demand in Botswana is estimated to be -0.86. The results indicate that a 10% increase in the price of cigarettes will reduce cigarette demand by 8.6% among smokers. These findings provide the first scientific evidence of conditional elasticity on consumption for policymakers in Botswana. These findings are expected to guide policymakers and those involved in tobacco control in formulating the most effective policies for regulating and controlling the consumption of tobacco in Botswana. The series comprises of papers which reflect work in progress or limited research efforts, which may be of interest to researchers and policy makers, or of a public education character. Working papers may have already been published elsewhere or may appear in other publications. Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/174 2025-06-01T00:00:00Z http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/172 Understanding the Firm-Level Export Diversification Characteristics in Botswana Kebakile, Pinkie Gertrude EXECUTIVE SUMMARY prerequisite for sustained economic growth in the country. • The growth and diversification of Botswana’s export bundle is undermined by the exporters’ inability to break into new export markets. • The main policy message is therefore that to transition from the upper-middle income status to high-income status by 2036, the country needs to nurture and develop the multi-product multi-destination exporters. Targeted interventions aimed at developing these exporters are therefore called for. his Policy Brief unravels interesting insights pertaining to firm-level export diversification characteristics in Botswana, which is an approach that views export diversification at the micro-level. The following are the key highlights from the Policy Brief: • Exporters whose export portfolios are varied in terms of products and export markets, commonly referred to as multi-product multi-destination exporters in the literature fetch high export values, which is Policy Brief Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/172 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/162 Key Drivers of Industrial Growth Khanie, Goitseone manufacturing sector value added as the proxy for industrial growth. It employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration approach using annual time series data for the period 1983 to 2015. Empirical results show that industrial growth is driven by financial sector development, human capital development, trade openness and foreign direct investment. Specifically, domestic credit to the private sector as a percentage of GDP and secondary school enrolment ratio are found to be significantly related to manufacturing value added as a percentage of GDP both in the long run and short run. While the relationship is limited to long run for total trade to GDP, it only exits in the short run for FDI net inflows. The study therefore recommends that policy makers should design and ensure proper implementation of financial sector development strategies that can help ease access to credit for manufacturing enterprises in the country. There is also a need for a holistic approach in the design and implementation of innovation and human resource development policies in order to provide a conducive environment for skills acquisition, innovation and technological advancements in the manufacturing sector. Trade policies and export promotion strategies should heighten productivity and value addition in the manufacturing sector, so as to make local firms internationally competitive. Finally, with regards to FDI, the Government of Botswana should create an environment that could entice multinationals to invest in the local manufacturing industry. This, however, should be coupled with protectionist policies to avoid crowding out local manufacturers and exposing them to foreign competition. The series comprises of papers which reflect work in progress, which may be of interest to researchers and policy makers, or of a public education character. Working papers may already have been published elsewhere or may appear in other publications. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/162 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/79 The Impact of Business Regulatory Quality on Private Sector Investment in Botswana Sekakela, Kedibonye A market-friendly regulatory environment is key for private sector investment. In this paper, we examine the impact of business regulatory quality on private sector investment in Botswana. The paper finds that the business regulatory environment stimulates private sector investment in the long term and this phenomenon occurs when the quality of bureaucracy improves, among other factors. Other critical factors affecting private sector investment examined in this paper include; corporate credit, output and public infrastructure investment. Private sector investment responds positively to increases in corporate credit in the short term but not responsive in the long term. Economic activities support private sector investment positively but weak. On the other hand, public infrastructure investment crowds in(out) investment in the short and long term respectively. Policy wise, Botswana should further deepen its efforts towards creating a market-friendly regulatory environment and also consider how business regulatory quality interact with other policy variables for better investment and growth outcomes. Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://knowledge.bidpa.bw:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/79 2019-03-01T00:00:00Z