23 Jul 2018

Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo has urged the residents of Kachikau to revive their multi purpose cooperative.

Addressing a Kgotla meeting recently, Ms Kenewendo said her ministry was concerned that the Kachikau cooperative was non-operational and had resolved to assist towards its resuscitation through the ministry’s strategy aimed at transforming cooperatives. 

Ms Kenewendo said her ministry offered courses on how to start cooperatives, manage cooperative funds and other skills and therefore urged Kachikau youth to be part of the resuscitation exercise. 

She said in other instances CEDA came on board to fund cooperatives  and Kachikau residents could also follow the same process to make their cooperative operational.

She noted that in Chobe there were some  cooperatives which were operational such  as the one that makes bicycle seats in Kasane and the basketry one. 

She told the residents that her ministry was also looking at regional products and devising ways on how they could be exported to other countries.

Further, Ms Kenewendo informed the residents about the proposed liquor trading hours and that her ministry would consult communities through Kgotla meetings and other forums in order to get their input. 

She said government had noted that the current liquor trading hours had negatively impacted on the alcohol production companies and job losses. 

The residents applauded  government for considering to increase the liquor trading hours and for consulting them.

Only one resident, Mr Sheka Sakoreng was against the increase of hours saying liquor had contributed to the increase in fatal road accidents.

CEDA chief operation officer, Mr Andrew Madeswi said a total of P90million was used to fund businesses in Chobe with P10 million in the Chobe West. ENDS