16 May 2022

Batswana have been called on  to come up with unique businesses that produce goods and services which are mostly imported.

With innovative ideas they could take advantage of government programmes as well as reducethe import bill.

Member of Parliament for Moshopa/Manyana, Mr Karabo Gare said this during kgotla meetings in Manyana, Bikwe and Mogonye respectively.

Mr Gare indicated that a lot of money was used to buy products from other countries, which could be invested locally to produce such goods and create employment in the process.

“If we all play part in producing these products, unemployment will be reduced. Importing goods is the same as exporting jobs to such countries,” he said.

He informed the residents that government was committed to ensure that Batswana businesses were successful and contributed meaningfully to the national economy.

MP Gare said the Ministry of Entrepreneurship would pave way for local businesses to grow and play part in reducing the import bill.

The area MP said the government had realised the need for mindset change in order to achieve the aim of reducing imports.

“We should all have positive mindsets in running our different businesses, keeping in mind that we are all working towards achieving one common goal of growing local economy,” he said.

He said there were a lot of opportunities that locals could take advantage of in different value chains, citing a cow and its by-products.

 “We are currently not fully utilising by products such as leather, hence the government’s plans to open a leather park in Lobatse. Different products could be produced with leather and a lot of employees will be needed to work in such factories,” he lamented.

Mr Gare appealed to leadership of the three villages to urge the youth to learn about entrepreneurship.

The minister was of the view that different funders such as CEDA, should fund businesses which were viable even though they did not have securities.

“If it is clear that certain projects could produce desired results, I believe they should be funded without asking for securities,” he added. ENDS