25 Mar 2019

There is money in indigenous products hence the need to modernise and commercialise them, says Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo.

  Speaking at a youth expo in Rakops last week, she implored the youth to modernise indigenous products.

She also urged the youth to come up with innovative ways to improve indigenous products and to export them to the international market.

Minister Kenewendo also said as the gateway to the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Boteti region should be having a large number of lodges and hotels, challenging the youth to invest in the tourism sector.

Ms Kenewendo also encouraged Boteti youth to breed more horses for commercial purposes. She noted that horses were part of their culture. She implored the youth to have a positive attitude towards business, saying a negative attitude had led to setbacks towards prosperity.

The intention, she said, was to build wealth in order to enable Batswana to sustain their lives.

She also encouraged them to prepare for business opportunities in the mines, noting that Cut 3 at Orapa and Karowe Mine would be expanding and increasing production.

Government, she noted, had made reservations for the youth across all government departments, citing tenders and land allocation among others.

Minister Kenewendo urged Batswana to partner with government in driving the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD). She said EDD was a presidential directive that encouraged local procurement of goods and services by government departments.

She urged the public to report government departments if they failed to implement EDD, stating that the arts and entertainment industry were part of EDD, and that youth offices were mandated to ensure compliance.

The aim, she said, was to diversify the economy and propel Botswana into a high income country.

Minister Kenewendo acknowledged, however, that there was a challenge of shortage of offices, as members of the public were compelled to travel to areas as far as Gaborone and Francistown to access services.

She, however, said the online registration of businesses would start officially in July, noting  that a USSD code would be used for those without Internet access in order to make the service as inclusive as possible.

Furthermore, Minister Kenewendo said the government’s aim was to focus on investors and export development as well as a supplier development programme.

Mr Ditshego Ramakhubu had earlier complained that there was shortage of offices, saying it complicated the running of businesses.

He had also complained that local procurement was not implemented as much as tenders reserved for the youth, saying the youth competed with experienced and large business owners.

One artist, Ms Lucretia Goitsemang expressed concern that government departments failed to engage local artists.

Another youth, who is a programmer of software, said he had presented a proposal of services he could offer to different departments, but that he had not received any offers. ENDS