22 Sep 2022

The envisaged national productivity and competitiveness policy and strategy is expected to guide all stakeholders in an endeavour to help the country achieve a high-income economy status.

Speaking during the Botswana-European Union policy dialogue on development of national productivity and competitiveness policy and strategy in Ghanzi on Tuesday September 20, director of productivity in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Bonnie Jim said productivity was a requisite for economic growth and employment.

He further stated that any decline in productivity affected employment.

“We need to move as a nation to transform the country’s economy, for it to be competitive.

The aspect of productivity plays a major role,” he said.

Mr Jim, who expressed delight  at the attendance of diverse group of stakeholders, said productivity should not be government business alone, but should cut across all sectors.

He said it should start at grass root level by parents instilling it in children because the way one was brought up had a significant contribution to their work ethic.

Mr Jim said for a long time Botswana had not been doing well in terms of productivity and competitiveness, citing among the many issues, attitude as a problem that could be reversed through mindset change.

He regretted that agriculture, which used to be the bread basket of Batswana, was declining, thereby affecting the rural livelihood by deepening poverty levels.

He said registering of cooperatives was no longer a common phenomenon as people nowadays had endorsed individualism.

Mr Jim said bad work ethic  was the breeding ground for corruption, which according to the World Bank report, was rampant in Botswana.

The silo mentality of service providers, especially government departments, he said also affected productivity.

An overview of how Botswana was doing in terms of productivity and competitiveness by a research fellow at   Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) Ms Gaokgakala  Maenge suggested that Botswana had a lot of work to do to achieve high-income economy status.

In her welcome remarks, Kgosi Annah Rankho of Ghanzi said for productivity to thrive there should be a conducive environment while welfare of employees should be taken care of.

Kgosi Rankho said embracing mindset change was crucial for transformation.

Making an input, Mr Director Tlharese said Ghanzi missed business opportunities due lack of business plots.

Mr Tlharese blamed corruption, nepotism and malpractice for the country’s poor performance.

He was of the view that Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board should facilitate the marketing of farmers’ produce.

Charleshill Sub-district Council chairperson, Mr  Ofentse Moapare concurred with Mr Jim that productivity should start at grass root level, advancing that education played a vital role in productivity.

Mr Moapare said multiple pathways should be adopted in the education system to elevate the country’s economy to greater heights, saying that the current system only concentrated on white-collar training, to the detriment of the blue-collar ones.   

Land board representative, Ms Goabaone Mfolwe said working in silos by government departments was affecting productivity.

Other participants said low market price for agricultural commodities had a negative impact on the performance of the sector.

They also expressed concern that some chain stores dis not buy farm produce from their respective operating areas. Ends