23 Aug 2020

 Government is exploring all opportunities available to deepen partnership with the private sector, Minister of Investment Trade and Industry has said.

Speaking during a tour of PPC Botswana recently, Ms Peggy Serame said government made every available avenue possible to ensure growth of local private industries including value chains, which she said played an important role in fostering a conducive environment to returns on investment.

Ms Serame indicated that government would continue to facilitate and help private sector organisations such as PPC Botswana to ensure realisable gains.

“Synergy between PPC, with other local businesses, is a commendable move that needs to be fostered,” she said.

The ministry, she said, was also working on initiatives to assist local companies in order to improve employment opportunities for Batswana, adding, ‘we will work at rooting out undesirable business practices, which do not support growth and facilitation of industry growth in the country’.

PPC Botswana managing director, Mr Tuelo Botlhole acknowledged the support that the ministry provided in fostering good business growth in the country.

Mr Botlhole said PPC had so far made a decision to use 100 per cent locally registered transport organisations and would engage Botswana Truckers Association as well as Unitrans in an effort to provide more business volumes for the country.

He also noted that PPC used Botswana Railways services to transport around 300 tonnes of raw materials into the country from South Africa annually, which was almost 50 per cent of the volumes for Botswana Railways.

That, Mr Botlhole said, demonstrated the company’s  commitment to the upliftment and foster development of local value chains. ends