On Wednesday the 22nd of March 2017, the Quantity Surveyors’ Registration Council (QSRC) engaged with stakeholders at its first stakeholder engagement session held at Cresta Lodge, Gaborone. The purpose of the event was to officially introduce the QSRC, a regulatory body established by the Quantity Surveyors’ Registration Act, 2013, to stakeholders. The event presented a platform for the Council, which is a body under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development (MIH) to share developments thus far and give stakeholders insight into the Registration Requirements and the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Standards for Quantity Surveyors.
In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the QSRC, Mr Gontse Kgosiemang, informed stakeholders of the QSRC’s appreciation of the need to engage stakeholders meaningfully as it undertakes its mandate of Regulation of the Quantity Surveying profession in Botswana and the forthcoming Registration of Quantity Surveyors. He acknowledged the role played by the Institute of Botswana Quantity Surveyors (IBQS) in lobbying for the establishment of the Council and highlighted the growing recognition of regulatory bodies from an international perspective.
The Chairman stated that there is currently approximately 80% to 20% male to female gender representation within the profession. He added that it is the Council’s aspiration to have a more balanced gender representation within the profession as time progresses. “That is why as the QSRC we have appointed a lady Quantity Surveyor as our Registrar”, said Mr Kgosiemang. “We would also like to see the private sector employing more Quantity Surveyors than it currently does, and to accommodate the graduates.” Hence government support is crucial in stimulating the growth of the private sector.
In her address on the Registration Requirements the Registrar, Ms. Kedibonye Proctor, informed the public of the two categories of registration and the respective requirements, ranging from academic qualifications to experience, that will enable applicant Quantity Surveyors to be eligible for registration in the specific categories.
She also reflected on the issue of Temporary Registration, for Quantity Surveyors from outside the country wishing to