20 Jan 2019

Indigenous citizens’ economic empowerment remains a challenge due to lack of startup funds.

The business community reached this consensus during a consultative forum hosted by the Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatization Agency (PEEPA) in during a stakeholder consultative tour on January 18.

The purpose of the meeting was to present proposed fuelling of government fleet at private filling stations.

Delegates took turns to decry the lack of startup funds of indigenous Batswana, which they said hindered their active participation in the economy of their country.

They also cited the unfair distribution of tenders.

However, director of public service outsourcing at PEEPA, Mr Ishmael Joseph, advised the business community to take advantage of the proposed government’s withdrawal from commercial activities, which were no longer required to be undertaken by the public sector.

He said the move was to relieve government of the administrative and financial burden and to facilitate greater private sector participation in the economy.

He said this would also increase direct citizen participation in ownership of national assets.

Mr Joseph said they intended to promote competition, improve efficiency and increase product enterprises and also accelerate the rate of economic growth by stimulation entrepreneurship and investment.

He said privatization would be conducted for the benefit of all not for the privileged few as was the general consensus in the meeting.

He noted that the process would be transparent and equitable to avoid a perception of unfair dealing.

PEEPA is responsible for advising the government on privatization strategies as well as implementation of privatisation which includes commercialisation, restructuring, outsourcing and efficiency of ministries and public entities among others. ENDS