of . state ownership or directive (implicit exclusion _and _ exemption). ii) Taking the foregoing scenario into consideration, Government will . grant the following conditional exclusions and exemptions from the Competition Policy: a) . I) Pui;)licUtilities The provisi on f infrastrqctural facilities· for public utilities suCh as land-line telecommunicaiiqns, water, and electricity -require. huge .ca pital outlays, which take long to recoup given the paucity of Botswana's population and the resultant small market base. Since this si uatio!1 may constrgin private . sector investment in this sub-sector, Government may exclude an(j . . ex mpt the provision of some of the . infrastructLlral facHities from this Policy. · ii) .. The afo·rementioned exclusions and exemptions notWithstanding, Government may include the provision of services such as public utility connections and distribution services within the ambit of this Policy. _ _ b) . Colle.cti"e Bargaining In order to prevent employers from exploiting workers under the pretext of free competition, Government will exempt and exClude collective bargaining by unionised workers from the ambit of this Policy. Furthermore, the Government's Policy of social protection for workers through the Labour Law and minimum.wages shall remain in force. c) Intellectual Property Rights The Policy recognises the important role intellectual property (patents, trade marks and copyrights) plays in Botswana's human and economic development endeavours -and the need to protect and safeguard the interests of intellectual property rights-holders. Therefore, as a way of protecting intellectual property rights from infringement and in order to promote the development of creations and· innovations, 12 I