PRESS RELEASE COVID -19 PANDEMIC RELIEF FUND DONATIONS

1. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development wishes to thank all companies and individuals, who continue to donate to the COVID -19 Relief Fund as well as those that make donations-in-kind towards this noble cause.

2. However, it has come to the Ministry’s attention that various organisations/individuals appear in social media alleging to have donated to the COVID -19 Relief Fund outside the structures established to receive these donations.

3. Members of the public and all stakeholders are therefore informed that the responsibility for collecting donations for COVID -19 Pandemic Relief Fund,

whether financial or in-kind rests with the Ministries of Finance and Economic Development and Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration respectively. On daily basis,

the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development monitors the donations deposited into the various bank accounts opened with various commercial banks,

while the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration collates information on donations in-kind received by government offices throughout the country.

This centralized system is to ensure traceability and accountability of all donations made towards COVID -19 Relief Fund.

4. The Ministry will be issuing acknowledgment letters to all who have donated financially into the COVID -19 Relief Fund,

as reflected by the deposits into the various commercial banks accounts to date, while donations in-kind will be acknowledged by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration.

These acknowledgement letters will form part of the record to reconcile the books on these donations.

Furthermore, the Ministry is working with that of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration to find ways of publishing information on donations to COVID -19 Relief Fund on a regular in the government and other private media houses.

This will provide a reliable information for purposes of transparency and accountability.

5. Our expectation as the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development is that, with this Press Release,

the public will appreciate the structure put in place to receive donations towards the COVID -19 Relief Fund and that no other company or individual is mandated to request for donations from members of the public for such purpose.

The public is informed that any person or individual soliciting donations from members of the public without due authority for COVID -19 Pandemic Relief Fund will face the wrath of the law.

6. The public is reminded that Government has appointed the following commercial banks to receive financial donations;
a. First National Bank of Botswana Limited,
b. Standard Chartered Bank Botswana,
c. ABSA Bank Botswana Limited,
d. Bank Gaborone,
e. Stanbic Bank Botswana,

f. First Capital Bank,
g. BancABC Botswana, and
h. Bank of Baroda Botswana Limited.
i. Bank of Botswana

7. Regarding donations in-kind, these should be delivered ONLY to the following authorized recipients;
a) Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Central Supplies Depot (Plot Opposite PPADB),
b) All District Commissioners Offices across the country.