10 Mar 2016

Ministry of Trade and Industry has facilitated the setting up of 43 manufacturing companies in the small and medium categories with an investment of over P11 billion employing 843 people.

This was said by the Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Advocate Sadique Kebonang in response to a parliamentary question from Member of Parliament for Mmadinare, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila.

Advocate Kebonang further noted that in addition to these efforts, SPEDU was conceived with a view to strengthen the already existing initiatives.

He said SPEDU commenced operations as a unit of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in 2009, and later became a company limited by guarantee under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

“The company, SPEDU, became operational in 3014, whereupon, the executive management was appointed in April 2015. The organisation was established for the purpose of diversifying the economy of the region, made up of constituencies of Bobonong, Lerala-Maunatlala, Mmadinare, Selebi Phikwe East and West,” he said.

Advocate Kebonang told the House that SPEDU facilitates the establishment of various projects and supports business development in the region. It also facilitates acquisition of land for operational steel milling project by Pula Steel and Castings (PTY) Limited. 

The company is based in Selebi Phikwe and privately owned with BCL Limited being the majority shareholder. 

It employs 250 people.

In addition, he said other projects involved include the horticulture produce processing plant, Motloutse River Farm Electrification Pilot Project, refurbishment of the Selebi Phikwe Airport in collaboration with Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) and facilitation of 74 light industrial plots in support of cottage industry development in Selebi Phikwe. 

Parliament was also informed that the Ministry of Trade and Industry has not yet facilitated the establishment of any factories in Mmadinare.

However, the assistant minister said, “it is part of the SPEDU strategy to explore opportunities in the rural and per-urban hinterland of the region.”

He stated that SPEDU has established a regional division whose sole mandate is rural community outreach and development, and will be working with all the constituencies to spearhead rural development and industrialization. 

This, he added, would allow constituencies to draft, plan and implement their projects with limited centralized authority from Selebi Phikwe.

The Mmadinare legislator had asked the assistant minister to state the number of factories his ministry has facilitated in Selebi Phikwe and Mmadinare over the past 20 years.

MP Mzwinila also wanted to know whether the establishment of factories in the SPEDU region could be decentralised in order for some of the factories and industrial projects to be established in Mmadinare as part of the rural development and rural industrialisation.ENDS