01 Jun 2014

Batswana have been urged to use government business initiatives to improve their lives.

Speaking during a workshop organised for the business community for Shoshong constituents in Kalamare on May 30, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Kenneth Matambo said government had set aside funds that could be used to benefit the lives of the business community in Botswana.

He said there was P12 billion for development budget and P33 billion for recurrent budget adding that the business community could use that to benefit a lot of people.

Mr Matambo said government had allocated different departments and stakeholders’ funds for the benefit of Batswana as well as to empower them with sustainable incomes to pay for their own needs.

He said Batswana could use Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) to empower themselves through business projects funded by CEDA since the agency had a lower rate of five per cent. Also, he said CEDA offered mentoring and training of business people for free. 

In addition, Minister Matambo also pointed out that there was the Young Farmers Fund which enabled the youth to venture into farming business while Local Entrepreneurship Authority (LEA) helped Batswana identify business and business plans.

He further pointed out that every youth should aim to get funding of P100 000 saying 50 per cent of funding was a grant. 

He therefore challenged Batswana to make use of government business projects to be able to invest back in to their businesses and contribute economically to the society that they live in.

Mr Matambo said government was doing all it could, hence he urged Batswana to buy locally manufactured goods. Minister Matambo, however, stressed that the most important instrument of citizen empowerment was education.

He said education opened the eyes so that one might be informed and have a vision on what business invest to in. “Basic education, starting right from primary education up to tertiary including vocational education should be followed,” he said.

He said education provided businesses ideas in all areas with a comprehensive understanding of business engagement in society and cross-sector collaboration. For that reason, he noted that the educational sector was put on first priority and given more funds than other sections during in the budget allocation.

The area legislator, Mr Phillip Makgalemele said there was a need for such a workshop to educate his constituents on the national budget so that they may know how much was available for use. Mr Makgalemele said the budget was like a tender document and every Motswana should be in a position to want to partake and be part of it.

He pointed out that the business community in the Shoshong region had since identified about 10 various businesses that could be implemented in the region. They included agriculture, tourism, eco-tourism, mining, waste management to mention but a few.

Also, he said farmers in the constituency had a chance to visit South Africa on a benchmarking trip to learn from integrated commercial farmers. He said there were also three solar energy companies that have made a commitment to set up five power generating plants in the region.

He also stated that a joint venture of local business people and internal partners have committed to setting up a college to benefit the Education Hub concept adding that all these would contribute to making business growth in the constituency.

MP Makgalemele stated that Shoshong had been proven to have been the second largest trading centre after Cape Town in Africa in the 1918s. Therefore, he requested the regaining of that pride and also urged the business personnel to perform well.

For their part residents complained that they were not given the opportunity to tender.

Mr Mmoloko Kgosidintsi protested that only certain people win Mahalapye Sub District council tenders.

Mr Kgosidintsi said many never win tenders adding that a single company may win numerous tenders and he wanted to know what they do right which was different from theirs. 

In his response, Mahalapye Assistant Council Secretary, Mr Motlogelwa Thuso said most people fail to tenders because due to non-compliance. 

Mr Thuso said a simple thing such as being requested to put a certified Omang could disqualify one from qualifying for a tender. Ends