16 Mar 2020

The Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) has over the past four years trained 7 466 SMEs on various basic business management skills such as business planning, sales and marketing, records keeping as well as advanced training which encompassed Intellectual Property.

Responding to a question in Parliament, the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Ms Peggy Serame said LEA had also imparted knowledge and raised awareness to 89 904 secondary school and tertiary students during the last four years to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship at an early stage.

She said LEA offered training, coaching, mentoring, workshops and incubation to the small and medium enterprises.

The initiatives , the minister said were meant to improve SMEs productivity and enterprise competitiveness.

She said five LEA incubators had produced graduates in horticulture, leather and light manufacturing sectors.

The minister said the incubators offered SMEs interventions to turn around their businesses into competitive and sustainable entities through provision of infrastructure, training and mentorship on new technologies and innovations to improve products quality as well as linkages to markets.

Ms Serame said LEA had also partnered with commercial banks to provide prototype testing facilities, co-working space, training, access to industry networks and other value-adding programmes.

The project has been piloted in Gaborone and there are plans to spread it to other parts of the country.The minister further noted that LEA had supported 3 701 jobs during the last four years and was currently monitoring 1 061 SMEs still operating.

MP for Mmadinare, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi had asked the minister to state the number of SMEs assisted by LEA for the past four years and the number trained by the organisation in the same period.

The Mmadinare legislator also wanted the minister to state the number of jobs created by the specified SMEs and the SMEs that are still trading.The Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) has over the past four years trained 7 466 SMEs on various basic business management skills such as business planning, sales and marketing, records keeping as well as advanced training which encompassed Intellectual Property.

Responding to a question in Parliament, the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Ms Peggy Serame said LEA had also imparted knowledge and raised awareness to 89 904 secondary school and tertiary students during the last four years to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship at an early stage.

She said LEA offered training, coaching, mentoring, workshops and incubation to the small and medium enterprises.

The initiatives , the minister said were meant to improve SMEs productivity and enterprise competitiveness.

She said five LEA incubators had produced graduates in horticulture, leather and light manufacturing sectors.

The minister said the incubators offered SMEs interventions to turn around their businesses into competitive and sustainable entities through provision of infrastructure, training and mentorship on new technologies and innovations to improve products quality as well as linkages to markets.

Ms Serame said LEA had also partnered with commercial banks to provide prototype testing facilities, co-working space, training, access to industry networks and other value-adding programmes.

The project has been piloted in Gaborone and there are plans to spread it to other parts of the country.The minister further noted that LEA had supported 3 701 jobs during the last four years and was currently monitoring 1 061 SMEs still operating.

MP for Mmadinare, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi had asked the minister to state the number of SMEs assisted by LEA for the past four years and the number trained by the organisation in the same period.

The Mmadinare legislator also wanted the minister to state the number of jobs created by the specified SMEs and the SMEs that are still trading. Ends