09 Jun 2019

Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), Mr Karabo Gare says people strategies are an essential starting point in the transformation of Botswana into a knowledge based economy.

 He said this during the opening of the strategic human resource conference in Gaborone recently.

He said the theme of the event: Realising a High Innovative Economy Through Transformative People Strategies was relevant in many ways as it conformed to the country’s Vision 2036 aspirations of shifting towards a high income economy through human based capital.

Mr Gare said the theme was also aligned with MITI’s innovation three pillar Apex Model, which is to ensure a more coordinated approach towards, Small, Micro and Medium Enterprise (SMME), Export Development and Investment Promotion.

 He revealed that through the pillars, the ministry intended to ensure the achievement of economic diversification, growth and development, resulting in job creation and poverty eradication.

He said while human resource departments play the welfare role within organisations, they were highly skilled and required strategic contribution in order to be proactive in dealing with the challenges and opportunities that come with the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The two-day conference aimed to give human resource industry leaders a chance to share experiences and expertise on topical issues relevant to their profession.

They were also to discuss employee wellness, productivity, industrial relations and the use of artificial intelligence for talent management.

Mr Darlington Hukuimwe, the Strategy and Change Management Expert at Test Rite consulting group, noted that cultural transformation was important to unlock performance in various organisations.

“Culture determines the attitude with which services are provided in the organisation because it is anchored in the history of the organisation,” he said. ENDs