11 Nov 2020

Business Botswana appreciates President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) delivered on Monday.

Business Botswana president, Mr Gobusamang Keebine, said in an interview that many of the SONA pronouncements provided a glimmer of hope to the business community, which had been struggling in the advent of COVID-19.

He said it was pleasing to note that government acknowledged the role of the business sector in achieving radical economic transformation.

Mr Keebine said an assessment of economic inclusion and empowerment as articulated in the SONA provided hope for promotion of citizen economic empowerment.

He said the legislative proposal, which sought to strengthen enforcement of citizen economic empowerment initiatives would ensure meaningful participation of citizens in the economy and empower local businesses if well implemented.

He admitted that current citizen participation in the economy was insufficient and required significant realignment with the country’s market demands.

Mr Keebine acknowledged that effective and comprehensive transformation was a critical component to achieving inclusive economic growth hence pleaded with the government to come up with other legislation that would safeguard and enhance the growth of small local producers.

He said Business Botswana was keen to play the advisory role in identifying and addressing challenges that hinder the growth of the local business community.

Mr Keebine indicated that Business Botswana was also of the view that the core economic priority for the country should be to ensure an enabling environment for investment and inclusive economic growth.

He highlighted that role-players needed to work together to achieve fundamental improvements in levels of employment, productivity and income distribution.

The country, he said, must build on challenges brought about the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen the citizen empowerment and drive economic inclusion through the promotion of citizen economic empowerment.

He said the local business sector appreciated the President’s acknowledgement of the work done through the efforts of business and government to collaborate, thus in this context, the need to focus more on improving structural reforms that promote citizen empowerment.

“The role of small and medium-sized businesses is a fundamental driver for any successful economy. Business Botswana is fully engaged in ensuring that this will achieve the attention it deserves. In this regard, we welcome the commitments by the President to address red tapes,” he said.

Mr Keebine, however, disappointed at the slow implementations of some of the government policies and legislations something which he said could eclipse all the glimmer that came along with President Masisi’s SONA address. ENDS