Botswana The Country and Economy
Botswana received its independence from Great Britain in 1966 and since that time a multi-party democratic system has operated successfully. Botswana has enjoyed continuous peace and economic stability since independence and has carefully avoided conflicts that have occurred in neighbouring countries.
BOTSWANA PROSPECTIVITY
Botswana’s neighbouring countries South Africa and Namibia hold approximately 14% of the worlds known Uranium reserves (Source: International Atomic Energy Agency). New discoveries and viable resources have been announced in Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi in recent times. Botswana shares a similar geological history to all these areas and the prospectivity for Uranium deposits is therefore similar. When A-Cap first entered Botswana, it had no known Uranium Resources and was critically underexplored compared to it neighbours.
Through A-Cap’s extensive exploration program it has achieved its goal of becoming the first company to produce a compliant resource in Botswana from the Letlhakane and Serule Projects. The Company firmly believes that as further exploration dollars are spent in Botswana it will become a significant contributor to the world uranium inventory.
TRANSPARENCY
The World Economic Forum (WEF) Public Institutions Survey 2006 that rated Botswana as the number one country in Africa in terms of Public Governance. In the 2005 Transparency International Corruptions Perception Index Botswana ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world (32 out of 159), and by far and away the least corrupt country in Africa.
GOVERNMENT
The Government has established an excellent infrastructure of sealed roads, grid power and piped water throughout the country. Education and health are also priorities for Government spending. Altogether, Botswana provides a very favourable environment in which to operate and to plan for a possible mine development.
OTHER PLAYERS
Importantly Botswana has also recognised the need to continue diversification in the mining industry away from diamonds, and actively encourages explorers to seek out other opportunities.
A number of listed Australian and International Companies have taken advantage of the Investment friendly environment in Botswana to establish operations there. These include BHP Ltd, Rio Tinto Ltd, Debeers, Albidon Ltd, Mt Burgess Ltd., African Energy Resources Ltd, African Copper PLC, IAMGOLD Corporation and Discovery Nickel Ltd.
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