21 Mar 2019

Government has been encouraged to introduce programmes that form part of an ecosystem for successful youth entrepreneurship.

Debating the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development budget proposals, Gaborone Central MP, Dr Phenyo Butale said youth entrepreneurship would help bring ostracised youth back into the economic mainstream and address some of the socio-psychological problems and delinquency that arose from joblessness.

Dr Butale said youth entrepreneurship would create employment opportunities for youth.

“Youth entrepreneurship will also help youths to develop new skills and experiences and promote innovation and resilience in youth as young entrepreneurs are particularly responsive to new economic opportunities and trends, they would be able to better adapt to the changing market,” he said.

He said the ministry should consider cultivating the spirit of entrepreneurship in the young generation.

Dr Butale also called on the ministry to promote the commercialisation of arts, adding that the current set up whereby government only considered arts commercialization through procurement of arts and crafts as well as paying appearance fees for artists engaged in government events was not adequate enough.

He said the arts industry has the potential to transform the country’s economy if well commercialised.

MP for Tlokweng, Mr Masego Segokgo also challenged government to invest more on youth entrepreneurship, indicating that youth entrepreneurship could lead to development of more industries, especially in rural areas or regions disadvantaged by economic changes by encouraging the processing of local materials into finished goods for domestic consumption and export.

MP Segokgo said there should be stringent measures in place to monitor youth funded projects to ensure value for money invested in the projects.

He said government should also set in place laws that make it easier for youth businesses start-ups to thrive and make it easier for youths to gain access to funding and aid.

Jwaneng/ Mabutsane legislator, Mr Shawn Ntlhaile pleaded with government to improve tutorials on entrepreneurship at schools so as to develop the mindset needed.

He said young people should also eradicate the stigma of failure when considering setting up businesses as that would help encourage more youth to take business risks.

Mr Ntlhaile suggested that government should also consider building youth empowerment centers across the country that would easily facilitate youth empowering programmes. ENDS