24 Nov 2019

Investment, Trade and Industry Assistant Minister, Mr Karabo Gare says Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) is collaborating with the International Trade Centre to integrate local basketry into international e-Commerce market place.

Mr Gare told Parliament that the exercise which was expected to be operational by June 2020 was hoped to improve market access for the local basketry.

He said this was part of the investment opportunities identified and coordinated by BITC in the North-West Region, which also included basket storage facility which had been constructed in Gumare to facilitate product collection, consolidation and marketing for Ngwao Boswa Weavers Association.

He said plans were at an advanced stage to handover the storage facility to the association.

“BITC in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development is facilitating Ngwao Boswa Weavers Association to enable them to access the AGOA market,” he said.

Other identified investment opportunities by BITC in the North West region through a study called Mapping Investment Opportunities in Towns and Districts in 2011 included tourism, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

Under the agricultural sector, Mr Gare said the identified opportunities included livestock production, crop production and game ranching.

He added that the manufacturing sector had potential in basketry, handicrafts as well as pottery particularly for export to the European Market and the USA under the AGOA dispensation.

“In an effort to create awareness on the available opportunities, BITC embarked on a domestic investment outreach programme in Maun on September 2019,” he said.

He added that in 2019, BITC opened an office at Francistown to support relevant stakeholders, promote business development and investment in the North.

Ngami MP, Mr Kainangura Hikuama had asked the minister to appraise Parliament on whether there were investment opportunities identified and coordinated by BITC in the North West region as well as the efforts and progress made in making local communities or potential investors aware of them. ENDS