27 Jan 2016

The participation of civil servants in the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) is critical for growing the economy, the Permanent Secretary to the President, Mr Cater Morupisi has said.

Addressing civil servants in Mochudi on Tuesday, Mr Morupisi said government employees who were custodians of government funds must ensure expenditure transforms into business opportunities for Batswana.

He said when the government purchases goods and services from locally based businesses, it would not only help grow those businesses, but would also promote economic diversification needed to increase employment especially among the young.

Mr Morupisi implored supervisors to ensure that procurement and supplies units procure in their locality to empower small entrepreneurs and help with monitoring ESP on the ground.

He said as people on the ground, they were not only tasked with implementation, but also with monitoring and reduction of bureaucracy and red tape which may derail the success of the programme.

Mr Morupisi said when all government employees implement the programme, its success would resuscitate the economy that has suffered suffocation from the world credit crunch and elevate the country back to its economic prosperity it was known for before the recession.

Responding to remarks on whether the ESP was the answer to the country’s economic success, he said no government has managed to develop a vibrant and diversified economic environment without recognising the important role played by empowered citizen owned enterprises.

Other speakers commended the government for the ESP which recognises that the crumble of the SMMEs was largely due to monopoly by wholesalers and chain stores hence the move to revive the sector. They said the government, through departments and the ministry, would purchase from their locality across all citizen based businesses. 

Speakers also implored procuring units not to cause unfair competition between big businesses and small enterprises, saying it would suffocate the small man.

They suggested that chain stores and wholesalers should compete amongst themselves whilst SMMEs should compete against each other. ENDS