05 Mar 2015

Government has rolled out initiatives to empower citizens, including special programmes focused on the youth as well as policies to ensure gender equity.

Speaking at a gala dinner of the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) women and youth commissions induction workshop on March 4, the Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi said a key priority had been to ensure access to various components of the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES), which included the Youth Development Fund.

The Vice President gave example of the 15 per cent youth company reservation in maintenance and additional opportunities through the National Service and Internship programmes.

The programmes, he said, were continuously being modernised. He said the government’s unwavering commitment to the youth was reflected in its enduring commitment to education and training, as was shown in the sector being allocated the highest portion of the national budget.

The Vice President said in recognition of the importance of the education sector as well as its challenges, the government has committed itself to transformation in the development of a strategic plan.

He said the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP) 2014-19, which has been designed to transform education starting from pre-primary to tertiary level, focuses on improving both the quality and efficient management of the education system.

The government, he said, had also committed itself to additional projects to boost local economic activity for job creation and citizen entrepreneurial development.  He said the food processing plant in Selebi Phikwe, the Tsabong abattoir and Lobatse Leather Park were examples of the projects. 

The initiatives, the Vice President said, were also supported by the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) as well as funding institutions such as the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) and the National Development Bank (NDB). 

He noted that the government had invested and shall continue to prioritise opportunities for economic diversification and development at the local level.  However, the Vice President said the efforts would bear little fruit in the absence of partnerships at the local level.

 He urged the membership and leadership of BALA to be the primary agents for unlocking investment opportunities in their localities, which would create investment opportunities, wealth and job creation throughout Botswana.

He acknowledged the role already played by members of BALA, along with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in promoting investment portfolios such as the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the Local Economic Development (LED) initiatives that were already taking place in local authorities. 

The Vice President said although much was being done to promote youth and women issues where business and investments were concerned, much more could be done individually and collectively.

“Let us all re-commit to creating an enabling environment in terms of policy reform and legislative framework as well as infrastructural development that will attract more women and youth into investment and wealth creation opportunities,” he added.

To the councillors, the Vice President said they were better able to detect problems in their communities and provide context specific solutions. 

“That is your value proposition, your comparative advantage. Use it as the opportunity presents itself in this conference. I am therefore confident that by end of your two-day workshop, you will have had the opportunity to exchange ideas and hone your skills and intellect to deal with a wide range of issues,” he said.

He said as a new world development agenda based on ‘sustainable development goals’, was being ushered in, effective local governance must be premised on consultation with local stakeholders to ensure broad-based ownership, commitment and accountability. 

“This calls for an integrated multi-level and multi-stakeholder approach for the generation of inclusive as well as transformative development at the local level.  This, when done efficiently, will result in inclusive development,” he said.

Mr Masisi congratulated BALA president, Rev. Mpho Moruakgomo, along with other members of the executive, for having been entrusted with the task of taking the association forward. 

He said there was no doubt that ‘as an executive you collectively have the requisite skills, experience, energy, motivation and the orientation to help move our nation forward along the path of prosperity that will ensure dignified livelihood for all Batswana.” 

The Vice President said the theme of the workshop: Unlocking Investment Opportunities for Gender and Youth Development, Modernising Public Service Delivery, spoke to the core issues of capacity building for human development and socio-economic livelihood. ENDS