24 Sep 2014

A report on the economic viability of a leather park in Lobatse, which is expected in December, is eagerly awaited by town councillors as they hope the park will create employment for residents. 

Briefing Lobatse Town Councillors in the last council sitting on Tuesday September 23, Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) deputy chief executive officer, Mr Cosmos Moapare said the project commencement would depend on the report.

Mr Moapare said the leather park would generate about P346 million in export revenue as compared to P44 million that was currently being made.

Mr Moapare said the leather beneficiation park was important for the leather industry as it would ensure that the country moves from exporting raw leather to finished leather goods.

He said research has established that there were plenty of hides and skins in the country from the three million cattle and 1.8 million goats.

The park, he said, would comprise of a common effluent treatment plant with a capacity to treat waste water for the production of 2 500 hides per day.

He  added that a tannery would process 2 000 hides from raw to wet blue stage per day, and that a warehouse would built to store hides and chemicals.

The LEA deputy chief executive officer said it was hoped that the private sector would join the industry after the park has been developed and manufacture leather goods.

 He said the leather park would produce and export 1 000 finished products.

He added that 657 jobs were  expected to be created for Batswana in the leather industry.

Mr Moapare urged Lobatse councillors to keep their promise of granting the project the required land and to also support LEA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry to ensure that the project takes off.

Councillors commended the establishment of the project and pledged their support. They said  the project  would boost the town’s economic status.Ends