14 Apr 2021

Certain businesses including bakeries have been reserved for citizen-owned Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to promote citizen empowerment, Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi has said.

Answering a question in Parliament on Monday, Mr Molebatsi said Section 5 of the Industrial Development Act reserved licences to operate bakeries for citizens or wholly owned citizen companies.

He further said the act allowed joint ventures between citizens and foreigners in the medium to large scale companies, provided citizens held 51 per cent shares.

The assistant minister said the intention of the joint venture was to facilitate technology and skills transfer to citizens.

He further said the Trade Act had reserved a number of businesses including general dealers for citizens while Supermarkets were not reserved.

Mr Molebatsi said the Industrial Development Policy was an overarching policy which aimed at promoting Botswana’s industrialisation and global competitiveness.

He said those included the Industrial Development Act, Trade Act, Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) Strategy, Co-operatives Transformation Strategy, Citizen Economic Empowerment

Policy and the National Entrepreneurship Development Policy for Botswana.

The assistant minister said in August last year, the government introduced import restrictions for baked products with a view to promote product diversity and further grow the sector.
Gaborone-Bonnington South legislator, Mr Christian Greef had asked the minister if it was important to reserve bakeries and supermarkets for citizen owned SMMEs in order to facilitate citizen economic empowerment. ENDS