11 Oct 2016

Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry said government is awake to the challenge of unemployment.

Speaking at the second annual jobs summit, Mr Biggie Butale said the theme for this year’s summit was gauged on implementing strategies and polices in order to create jobs and government had demonstrated its willingness to get things done.

“We, however, have had a challenge of completing projects on time, on budget and this problem has not only cost us money, but jobs as well,” he said, adding that if implementation of projects could  be done right, a giant leap forward towards sustainable job creation and prosperity for people would be realised.

He said the summit was blessed with speakers from various sectors of the economy and from abroad, and they would come up with ideas on how to create jobs.

“This gives us hope and belief that collectively we are the fountains of knowledge from which solutions to this challenge should be drawn,” said Mr Butale, further adding that everyone had a part to play in finding solutions.

Mr Butale said while it was true that the world over countries were struggling to create employment, it did not mean Botswana should fold its arms and do nothing.

He said unemployment rates were worrying and not healthy for the growth of any economy.

Mr Butale noted that for the economy to grow, consumers needed disposable income to spend and without such income the economy would contract.

“Even more painful is that those that are unemployed will in turn not be able to support themselves and their families and this will result in the country also suffering an opportunity cost as skills the country invested in will not be utilised,” he said.

Mr Butale said the country was already suffering since unemployed people had no means of meaningfully contributing to the economy. He said there was no doubt of the importance of coming together to seek solutions to job creation.

“I must applaud One Source Consulting & Partners for this well organised event. I employ you to continue your efforts to help your country create jobs and this is a demonstration of the role the private sector has in job creation,” said Mr Butale.

He indicated that it was important for other private sector companies and other state owned enterprises to support this summit and efforts aimed at job creation in Botswana.

Mr Butale assured delegates of public sector support and said government aims at opening up the economy to even more private sector participation.

“The future of Botswana economy will be private sector led, hence the importance of this sector in staking a major claim in finding solutions to our challenges,” he said.

The assistant minister said he believed government had done well to facilitate private sector growth, but the private sector had not shown positive aggression.

“The private sector has a vision, but this vision is not lucid enough to take our country forward. I would like to appeal to the private sector to step up to the plate and not only grow the economy in Botswana, but to look at SADC and Africa as a whole,” he said. ENDS