13 Mar 2015

The Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, has appealed to the private sector to partner with government in employment creation drive.

Mr Masisi held a meeting on March 12 at Lansmore Hotel in Gaborone with leaders in the private sector with employment creation top of the agenda.

He said unemployment rate was at 19.8 per cent with youth mostly hit by lack of jobs. The VP stated that the Botswana AIDS Impact Survey IV of 2013 indicated that 28.7 per cent of youth aged between 15 and 35 years were unemployed.

“We are confronted with a socio-economic challenge of great proportions, as the largest demography in our society who also represents the majority of the unemployed, are the most affected,” Mr Masisi said. He explained that the challenge of unemployment required a more sustainable development model where actors in the economy facilitate growth.

The VP added that the current administration had made job creation its number one priority, but warned that government alone could not resolve the issue. Therefore, Mr Masisi said successful businesses, which generated sustainable employment were required to assist.

“Government alone cannot create jobs. The best that government can and must do is to effectively facilitate the private sector to foster successful businesses, which would generate economic growth and create employment,” he said.

He assured the private sector that government was in the process of implementing reforms aimed at removing government red tape and addressing impediments that hinder businesses. Those reforms include abolishing pre-permit inspection of premises, limiting the number of licenses and permits, adopting a Unique Identification Number for businesses, and decoupling of tax from other activities like Construction Permit Procedures, and property registration.

Others are liberalization of services and works for power productions and supply, outsourcing some state functions to the private sector, and privatizing state owned companies as source of transferring industrial, technological and managerial know-how into the country. Mr Masisi also appealed to private companies to enroll more graduates as interns to give them experience for future employment.
ENDS