28 May 2019

Enabling businesses in remote areas will help create employment and reduce rural-urban migration, says Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Ms Bogolo Kenewendo.

Speaking at the end of a two-day youth entrepreneurial workshop recently in Kumaga organised by her ministry, Minister Kenewendo said it was therefore imperative to form or resuscitate cooperatives.

Ms Kenewendo said that the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) office was re-opened last year in Letlhakane to serve the people of Boteti region.

She therefore encouraged people of Kumaga to develop business ideas to make use of CEDA and other organisations aimed at entrepreneurial empowerment.

Ms Kenewendo said that MITI had adopted taking the ministry to the people initiative last year, saying CEDA had so far visited 104 villages, while the ministry had conducted roadshows at Okavango and Kgalagadi districts.

Further, she said MITI would avail such services as company registration and renewals online to ease way of doing business by June.

Additionally, she said the ministry would further encompass use of cellphones for such applications by the end of this year.

Moreover, she said that the ministry had two bills which would be tabled in the next Parliament session, which were aimed at assisting aspiring business people by removing bureaucratic requirements.

She said that MITI appreciated partnerships, pointing out that Kgalagadi Breweries (KBL) had come on board through its Kick start program in which 15 upcoming and existing entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35 years would benefit.

The minister said that the selected youth would get an opportunity of a grant of up to P200 000 each, which included business coaching and monitoring and urged the youth to apply online.

The Chairperson of Ngande Trust in Kumaga, Mr Budzani Baitse appreciated MITI for the entrepreneurial workshop.

Mr Baitse said that most youth businesses had failed due to lack of knowledge.

For instance, he said that some youth were not aware that Local Enterprise Authority provided guidelines and mentoring on how to apply for Youth Development Fund for free. ENDS