09 Oct 2019

Government intends to leverage growth of citizen business and entrepreneurs, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has said.

To this effect, he said the Citizen Economic Empowerment Policy and Economic Diversification Drive policy would be turned in to law.

Speaking at a Citizen Business and Professionals Forum in Gaborone on Monday, Dr Masisi said through the two laws, it would be easier for the majority of citizen owned companies to get preference during tendering.

He urged Batswana to welcome the new development that would lead to equitable distribution of income and wealth in order to improve the quality of life of citizens.

“I am unapologetic about these two policies, to make them statutory because they have interest of Batswana,” he said.

He said most policies did not properly articulate the distribution of opportunities of all sectors, especially in the agriculture sector where Batswana could be and should be benefiting.

In this regard, he said government was committed to constitutional review to align it with government policies.

President Masisi said there was need to synchronise the National Development Plan (NDP) with the ruling party’s manifesto that lasts for five years.

He said currently the NDP 11 was left with only three years, while on the other parties were vying a new five-year mandate.

Thus he said it was difficult to have evidence based policies owing to the existing scenario.

Earlier on, Citizen Business Forum member, Mr Botsile Gubago said Batswana were not performing well in the business space because most policies were not evidence based, and had many gaps that disadvantaged them.

The platform provided different citizen business persons an opportunity to engage with the President regarding challenges faced by different sectors of the economy and how they could be addressed to attain the much needed Economic Diversification Drive. ENDS