12 Mar 2020

The Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration has set a target to produce the first millionaires from poverty eradication beneficiaries in the 2020/21 financial year.

Officiating at the stakeholder meeting in Gaborone on March 11, the National Coordinator of Poverty Eradication Programme, Mr Montshiwa Montshiwa said that the aim of the forum was to engage with those who were already in the industry to find out what should be done to assist the beneficiaries to access and also benchmark from the market and  successful businesses.

“There is a lot of input that is required especially in interactions such as this one that we may be able to get those who may be able to close the gap because failing to close the gap means we are going to continue stimulating the economy of other countries and not of our own,” said Mr Montshiwa.

He stated that to date there were 39 098 beneficiaries who had been packaged and around 29 877 projects operating with slightly above 5000 being at different stages of implementation.

With the 29 877 that were operating, Mr Montshiwa said 33 980 people had been employed saying there were a number of projects that were doing well with some having passed the standards from Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS), locally and beyond borders.

He said some of the products were sent to countries like Kenya and India to be standardised and had been given thumbs up.
“This is a clear indication that some of the products are now ready to participate in the international market thus increasing the number of millionaires that the initiative aspires to produce,” said Montshiwa.

He indicated that there were about 45 programmes from which all those who were to be assisted were to choose from and it increased from one area to another depending on adaptability.
Mr Montshiwa also added that there were about 2 286 programmes which had failed due to lack of market, poor quality or standards and lack of commitment.

However, he emphasised lack of market as the contributor factor to failed projects, thus he encouraged the beneficiaries to benchmark so that they may also penetrate the market.

Mr Montshiwa further urged the stakeholders and customers to support the beneficiaries so that at least by May 31 they would have reached the target adding that even though the million had not yet been reached some of the beneficiaries under the programme had reached P94 8000.

For her part the Director of Industrial Affairs, Ms Obusitswe Tiroesele also stated that they had loosened up the regulations for business operations so as to enable regulatory environment for SMMEs.

The President of Business Botswana, Mr Gobusamang Keebine also urged the beneficiaries to benchmark from other countries like Zambia so as to turn challenges into opportunities. ENDS